Anyone got a good crawfish pattern for bass? Working on my spring fly box and want to try my hand at a crawfish. I’m a novice/intermediate tier so nothing overly complicated, please.
A youtube link, pictures, materials, etc would be good.
Thanks a bunch…
Here is one that is an easy tie and a fantastic pattern!
Thank you, Warren! I may have to tie a few of these!
Hi AGrant,
The one I like best is called the Crazy Dad, and I think it is a good pattern. I don’t think it’s too bad to tie, but don’t use the tool shown for tying the dubbing loop, and instead use the tool I have instead. (My dubbing loop tool is just a piece of stripped #12 copper wire from house wiring wire bent into a shepards crook shape.)
I do prefer the Sparkle Leach dubbing for the pattern, but since it is no longer available would use the Crawdub that they also list if I did not have the Sparkle Leach. I like a light olive color or pumpkin best.
This is the link for the step by step: http://www.mcflyshop.com/articles/index.php?targetID=11
Regards,
Gandolf
Crawdad orange Slumpbuster, tied on a 90-degree jig hook, sub dumbbell eyes for the cone.
http://www.flyfishingaddicts.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5276&hilit=+chunk
I came up with this pattern for Bass but it seams to have the right color combo for many different fish species.
This was done by a friend of mine and works quite well
http://www.azbythefly.com/fly-tying/streamers/73-damien-craw
The article linked below has the ingredients for a Holshclag Hackle Fly, a generalist crayfish pattern based on th wooly bugger. The pattern is shown on page 6 of the pdf. These were one of the Top 20 flies mentioned in Tim Holschlag’s “Smallmouth Fly Fishing”, which is an excellent book on the topic.
http://www.smallmouthflyangler.com/_images_f/pdfs/eff-sugar-creek-article.pdf
Maybe try May’s Clearwater Crayfish?
http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=5e17
Thanks Guys. I’ve looked at them all and very interesting. I found another pattern online, youtube I believe, and tied a variation with materials I had. I’ll post a pic later tonight.
To tell the truth, a Woolly Bugger tied in brown and orange makes a fine crawfish imitation. You can tie it with a barbell weight on the back end, and tie it hook-up to fish it right on the bottom.
I did a size 8 Wooly Bugger in brown about this time last year. Didn’t weight it, or try to add claws to it. Very first cast in a pond got me a 2 lbs LMB.
I ended up loosing that bug to a snag in a stream on Labor Day. I need to get back to the tying bench…
It’s hard to beat a Woolly Bugger for just about anything.
I use a modified bead head wooly bugger for a crawdad pattern. Just split the marabou, makes fine imitations of claws. I also add a little closed cell foam under the chenille body, so the bugger stands up like a 'daddy defending itself. Oh, and go BIG (#4 hook or bigger, I usually go #2), bass love that large mouthful!
Mike
If you want something more realistic, here is a pattern I came up with a few years ago. I use Swiss Straw for the carapice.
](http://s109.photobucket.com/user/suejoel/media/Fly Patterns/Craw18.jpg.html)[/IMG]
Gigmaster, has you done that pattern as a Fly of the Week? That is a beautiful fly.
Ed
I have posted it on a few threads. but I don’t think I have ever submitted it for a Fly Of The Week, yet.
As a FotW it is archived in a readily accessible manner. These post get archived off-line at some point, I think. That fly is too nice to lose.
Regards,
Ed
Excuse my silly question, but why do the many crawfish patterns have the dumbbell weights at the tail end of the crawfish.
Aren’t the critters eyes and mouth at the end between the claws?
Ray, my understanding is that it helps the claw end to ride claws up…a defensive position.