Crayfish patterns
- Thread starter Cougarbaby
- Start date
TerrellBFly
Member
How are you presenting these? Dead drift under and indicator?
Cougarbaby
Well-known member
Dead drifting and slow retrieve after the swing ,caught 1 during the drift and 1 coming back towards me in slow water
Cougarbaby
Well-known member
I very rarely use indicators
Striperbobby
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The clawdad is a fish magnet and super easy to tie. One of those patterns that looks goofy but comes alive in the water and fish love it.
The only crayfish patterns I have any real confidence in are the less specifically imitative and more generally suggestive or "in the round" type patterns. My favorite right now is the Bronze Goddess from Ward Bean's WW page: http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns3.asp?page=33
A close second (and my previous favorite) is the late Tim Holschlag's Holschlag Hackle Fly. Here is Ward Bean's take on it: http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns6.asp?page=2 The original brown is probably best, but I also do well on a dark olive variation.
I should probably add that all my crayfish fly fishing is done for smallmouth, but there is no reason that either of these flies would not work well on trout if appropriately sized..
A close second (and my previous favorite) is the late Tim Holschlag's Holschlag Hackle Fly. Here is Ward Bean's take on it: http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns6.asp?page=2 The original brown is probably best, but I also do well on a dark olive variation.
I should probably add that all my crayfish fly fishing is done for smallmouth, but there is no reason that either of these flies would not work well on trout if appropriately sized..
hooker-of-men
Well-known member
Huh. That is a goofy looking pattern.
Have you ever tied it / seen it tied with a replacement material for the suede? I like the idea of the fly as almost like a subsurface Mr. Wiggly, but I'm not big on using pre-cut pieces. Might try to play around with the concept.
Striperbobby
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I thought the same thing that the pattern looks gimmicky but then I watched 50 places to fly fish before you die and Cowen was killing smallie after smallie on the Shenandoah. I tied a few size 4 for the conestoga but had to fish the Brandywine yesterday due to high muddy water. It’s way bigger than any flies I use in the Brandywine but I was catching bass, red eyes, fallfish, and bluegill. The suede claws look exactly like how crayfish claws look when they are scooting backwards to get away. I’ve been a clouser minnow and clouser crayfish guy my whole life for smallies and of course poppers but now I prefer Murdich minnows and claw dads.
Kms
Well-known member
I was looking for simple crawfish patterns last week after a nice looking was posted to FB, with pdf directions (image below). I think it can be simplified.
There’s also this much simpler pattern:
www.panfishonthefly.com
And at the Jamboree @TimMurphy told me about effective furry foam patterns, though I haven’t yet tracked one down.
There’s also this much simpler pattern:
CE Crayfish — Panfish On The Fly
CE Crayfish (Close Enough) is a very simple Crayfish pattern I developed for Trout and Bass. When I design flies I like to follow the K.I.S.S. rule (Keep It Simple Stupid). I usually focus on one to two triggers when developing a pattern, here the claws, and swimming action.
www.panfishonthefly.com
And at the Jamboree @TimMurphy told me about effective furry foam patterns, though I haven’t yet tracked one down.
Last edited:
Kms
Well-known member
Are the clawdad claws furry foam?
You must be talking about the Clouser Crayfish, and that is the only crawdad pattern I tie and fish. It is a must-have bass pattern.I was looking for simple crawfish patterns last week after a nice looking was posted to FB, with pdf directions (image below). I think it can be simplified.
View attachment 1641242434
There’s also this much simpler pattern:
CE Crayfish — Panfish On The Fly
CE Crayfish (Close Enough) is a very simple Crayfish pattern I developed for Trout and Bass. When I design flies I like to follow the K.I.S.S. rule (Keep It Simple Stupid). I usually focus on one to two triggers when developing a pattern, here the claws, and swimming action.
And at the Jamboree @TimMurphy told me about effective furry foam patterns, though I haven’t yet tracked one down.
Kms
Well-known member
Slick
Clouser's Crayfish Fly Step-by-Step - The Fat Fingered Fly Tyer
How to Tie Clouser's Crayfish Fly Step-by-Step: Detailed tying instructions for Bob Clouser's classic dead drift crayfish; Smallmouth; Trout
fatfingeredflytyer.com
