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Fly Tying Group: At the Vise
Baby Crawdad
Gene Lorenson
(Originally Published in the Spokane Inland Empire Fly Fishing Club Newsletter)
Crayfish inhabit a large proportion of the streams and lakes in our area. Some are large enough to catch and eat. These big ones grow from little ones and the small fry are the ones preferred by the trout. This month's pattern is an easy to tie representation of the baby crayfish. It can be tied with bead eyes or leaded body, but the plain version works fine. Try the pattern in a dark olive or burnt orange color.
Hook: Mustad 3906 #12, 10, 8 |
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1. Pinch the barb and line the hook shank with tying thread. Tie in a fat bunch of pheasant tail fibers at the bend of the hook. Leave the tips extending to the rear. Divide the tips into two equal parts and cross wind the thread to make the claws extend at about a 45 degree angle from the hook shank. 2. Tie in the hackle, chenille, and rib materials just behind the claws. 3. Make 3 turns of chenille to form the thorax, tie it off and trim the excess. Wind three turns of hackle palmer-style over the chenille. Tie it off and trim. Form the body using the remaining pheasant tail fibers by winding them around the hook shank to the eye of the hook. Tie off and trim the excess, leaving a short tail extending over the eye of the hook. Counter wind the wire rib and tie it off. Whip finish and cement. |
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