I am looking for a good imitation of the crane fly. Would appreciate a time proven fly… Recipe and photo would be greatly appreciated. Any info what so ever as to where I can locate the pattern would also be aprreciated…
HT
[url=http://flies.hipwader.com/index.php:b2f7e]http://flies.hipwader.com/index.php[/url:b2f7e]
Click on Flies by Bug in the fly databse menu on the Leftside. There will be a menu with craneflies in it. There should be some patterns there.
Never fished craneflies though…
Cheers,
Paul
[url=http://www.westfly.com/patterns/dry/deerhairdaddy.shtml:f21e5]http://www.westfly.com/patterns/dry/deerhairdaddy.shtml[/url:f21e5]
Thanks for the come backs…Have bench marked both sites…
Thanks again…
HT
I’ve been fishing the cranefly here in Holland on the Oostvoornse lake. This is a big saltwater reservoir once connected with the Nortsea. When you fish the crane in the summer you will have a good chance to catch a big rainbow. Also fished on a Belgium river, the cranefly was good for several species of fish.
Here’s another one for you to look at:
[url=http://www.flyrodreel.com/index.php/page/ak/id/84:ea600]http://www.flyrodreel.com/index.php/page/ak/id/84[/url:ea600]
Mike
There is no greater fan of flyfishing than the worm.
Patrick McManus
Taylor Streit’s Poundmeister -
Hook: TMC 2487 size to match natural
Bead: Gold bead size to match hook
Thread: 6/0 tan
Underbody: Gray chenille
Legs: Oversized dun wooly bugger hackle
Back: 5 strands of Peacock herl tied in before chennille, then pulled overtop the once the chenille has been wrapped forward
Ribbing: Copper wire
Thorax: Peacock herl from back
I don’t have any photos of the fly right now, but if you email and are interested in a photo, I can send you one. This is a super fly! Taylor and his son Nick have developed this fly for the Rio Grande and it is amazing!
Hope this helps
Tight lines,
Jeremy Barela [url=http://www.customflys.com:78696]www.customflys.com[/url:78696]
[This message has been edited by barel fly (edited 19 February 2005).]
A simple Delta style caddis works very well for stream oriented craneflies. Light dun wings and sparse, undersized hackle with an appropriate colored body. I do splay the wings widely when I am tying them to imitate cranes although I’m not sure it matters.
Another killer is the venerable Tups Indispensible.
Personally I think this one picture has the fly overhackled. I would say the usual 1 1/2 times the hook gap.
[url=http://flytyingforum.com/index.php?act=flyshow&s=$s&showid=258:6b532]http://flytyingforum.com/index.php?act=flyshow&s=$s&showid=258[/url:6b532]
John G.
Albuquerque, NM
Okay Loren,
Now go explain to ‘hackletip’ how he can go about getting some real ‘TI’ dubbing (-;
By-the-way, I do have some and it looks great. Was given to me by Jeff Serena who did a historical investigation to get the actual blend.
Allan
Allan,
Nah…I’m not good at bearing bad news 
I’ll just follow with the camera!
You sure do have lots of cool materials…I may have to make it to a swap one of these years. Real TI…I’m jealous.
Gentlemen…You have all been a great help…And I do agree with Tyeflies that the fly is a little over dressed? You were suggesting a dubbing that was in the fly and hard to come by? I recieved a good looking imitation from Barel fly that just calls for Gray chenille…Do you really think the dubbing is that critical?
Thanks again for all the response…
Hackletip
Hackletip:
I suppose the pattern and it’s attributes depend as much on the species and size, as well as how you intend to fish it, as anything else.
Where I fish in the Eastern US, our cranes are dainty and smallish (<#12)…typicaly yellow or orange. Body color is important–so is the “dainty” aspect.
A small soft hackle works wonders but many folks prefer dry flies.
As far as the dubbing: Tups is the fur from a Ram’s scrotum. If you go collecting, please grab me some too . I have good success with imitative dubbing from bunnies, and even synthetics like Fly-Rite. But the Tups Indispensible is a good pattern no matter which substitute dubbing you use.