Pritt's Water Cricket

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

The first pattern listed by Pritt is called a "water cricket". The basic pattern is a yellow body and a starling hackle with an optional black rib. I've fished this pattern for awhile, and in some clear spring fed streams it is a high percentage pattern.



Anyway, Pritt's description of the natural is as an "active little spider". In Neme's Soft Hackle Addict book, he doesn't indicate what the natural represents, though he makes suggestions for most of Pritt's other patterns.

Last night I just completed reading Stewart's Practicle Angler, which I found in a used bookstore (a 1905 or so re-release version, not a first edition!) Anyway, in it Stewart describes one of the insects used for bait fishing, namely the "creeper" or "water-cricket". What Steart describes is a stonefly nymph, with a yellow and black body, and lots of legs, a most venomous looking creature (to paraphrase his description). Stewart's description is that this is one of the best baits to use at certain times of the season.

Anyway, it's interesting that this "highly regarded bait" also is, in my opinion at least, a "highly regarded fly" as well.

- Jeff

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Jeff,

Looks like a first rate fly (the dressing is also first rate). I'll be adding a few to my box for this year.

REE

[cholcomb13]

Jeff nice fly...body looks gold what did you use for the body and the ribbing? Did you wax?

[JeffHamm]

Thanks REE! I find size 14 works best for me, but it will depend upon the water I'm sure.

Thanks too Cholcomb13! The body is Uni-floss Bright Yellow, and the rib is just the black tying thread. When I tie onto the hook, I leave a large tag end and generally don't bring the tying thread down the shank. I tie the floss in near the head, wrap down and back up (spreading the floss to give a fine taper), tying it off back up near the head. The tag end of the tying thread is then sticking out from under the floss and I bring this back up as the rib, tie in the hackle, one turn, then make a head and that's it. Pritt indicates that the body can also be tied in orange, and I have a few of those as well. Although the rib is listed as optional, I always include it. Just looks better to me.

- Jeff

[cholcomb13]

I think I like it better with the rib as well....I'll have to tie a few of those to put in my soft hackle box.