pine squirrel crawfish

[quivira kid]

Sent you a PM...

[Luke McLeod]

I would love to see a step by step for this one. Very nice!

X2 I am a noob, and would love to see a FOTW style write up on this one. Luke

[forthebirds12]

Like the craw. Went to the ebay site and this guy has a ton of different jigs. The one you show is called a roundhead jig with the extra lead and plastic keeper on it. He also has one called a ball head that doesn't have the extra lead and looks like it might be easier to tie. I haven't ordered yet but think I might get the ball head in several different sizes. Thanks for the link and the fly.

Jerry

[whatfly]

My fav smallmouth fly this year - FYI
[SNIP]

Very nice tie, Pillcaster. So how do you usually fish this pattern in your neck of the woods?

[pillcaster]

Thanks for the replies -
As far as fishin the fly, I fish it like a wet fly, down and across, then strip it back slowly, about 4" each strip. Most strikes happen on the swing...
As far as a step by step, I copied JohnScott's pine squirrel cheater (go to the main page and type that in the search, it will pop up as a fly of the week and it is an awsome trout streamer btw) except I tie in a clump of bucktail in the hook bend, and tie on a second tail (claw), the tails are tied on the flanks or side of the hook instead of the top like the PSC. Add 6 legs at the end around the head.....
As far as the hooks, I like the roundhead in a sickle hook, I think it helps with the look of the taper. But ball heads would be fine I'm sure (I use ball heads to tie nymph patterns), here is another source
http://stores.crazyanglertackle.com/...IES/Detail.bok

[lastchance]

My fav smallmouth fly this year - FYI

I posted this on another thread but thought someone may have suggestions on improving this if I posted here also.





I plagiarized (er borrowed) from some other fly patterns for this, a zonker crawfish pattern I saw on youtube, the clawdad and kreel craw (for the legs), and I tie the squirrel strip body like John Scotts' pine sq cheater, cept I use 2 "tails" (claws) and tied on each side of the hook instead of on top - I tie a small clump of bucktail in the hook bend to make a "head" and also keep the claws separated. Also use a 1/32oz or 1/64 size 4 jig hook. The last step is to add some legs, i use the skirting material that has some flash on it. This rides hook up, but the round head seems to get caught in the rock crevices less than a clouser type. The pine sq is naturally bouyant so the claw end floats up, giving it a natural look in the water. The sq zonker is easier to cast and takes on less water than rabbit. It is also smaller, and overall is 1 3/4", which I read somewhere (I think Fly Fish Ohio) is the preferred size for smallies. It takes fish in the sculpin olive color, but the orange seems to be the sm fav.
I fish it like a wet fly, down and across, and most strikes come on the swing. If no fish takes on the swing, I then strip it in in short quick strips and get many strikes on the retrieve.

It is fun to fish and tie.

Great Crawdad. Can you post a tutorial? I just started fishing for smallies this year and I've been looking for a good and fast craw pattern.
Thanks

[pillcaster]

I have had several folks ask me for a step by step, I will try....

first, assemble the materials; if using a lead jig gives you heartburn, tie it with a streamer hook and dumbell eyes, or use a 60' jig hook and tie in a slotted tungsten bead or dumbell(see Rons crawfish in the FOTW archives). I use the lead jigs because they are cheap and work well for this. I usually get these in 1/32 weight.


Next stack a pinch of bucktail and tie in toward the back of the hook - this serves as a "head" and also keeps the claws separated


Trim the bucktail and tie in your first claw, a small piece of squirrel zonker. Shoot for an overall length on 1 3/4" TO 2 inches


Now tie in a long strip of zonker on the opposite side of the hook (your second claw) and wrap the zonker toward the hook eye. The technique here is the same as the Pine Squirrel Cheater in the FOTW archives (a great trout streamer BTW). Moistening the fur as you turn aids this greatly...

[pillcaster]

Wrap the zonker to the head...

Make several thread wraps and tie off...

I tie in six "legs" around the collar, allowing them to stick out as shown - I use skirting material

Whip finish, glue the collar with head cement


Squirrel zonker is what you need here, not rabbit - rabbit absorbs much more water and is tough to cast - the squirrel tends to float and mimics a fleeing crawfish as it is slowly bumped on the bottom....
I fish it down and across, retrieve like a streamer (my largest largemouth took it this way in stillwater), but this fall it has been most effective under an indicator drifted through the deepest holes in the river - My largest smallie of the year (just over 18" ) took it this way, and it is a ball to fish this way...

[Steven]

I like it a lot.

I have to ask though...how realistic is a wet fly swing for a crawfish?

[pillcaster]

I like it a lot.

I have to ask though...how realistic is a wet fly swing for a crawfish?

Good question; I dunno, but after giving it some thought, I have a guess. I cast it down and across just like a soft hackle for trout, and get most of my strikes at the end of the swing. A wet fly doesnt weigh much, and stays just under the water most of the swing. The PS crayfish weighs 1/32 oz plus the dressing, so it starts to sink soon after the fly hits the water. So, my guess is that by the end of the swing the fly is in "crawfish territory" and looks good to the fish. The way this "rides" with the hook up, it tends to get hung up less. I have had good luck letting it settle in grassy areas and it will pick up bluegil and red eye bass in this area. I found this out by accident while I was fiddling with my reel and the fly just settled in the grass after a swing. But I really had a ball with it under an indicator and with 6 to 8 foot of line below the indicator. When you get a strike you have to hit it for all youre worth to get a hook set with that much line, but it really seems to appeal to the big boys floating thru this way. I use a 3/4" dia thingamabobber as an indicator and it will float it nicely.