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| Doug's Crayfish Tan Material List and Tying Instructions |
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| Hook: | Eagle claw 630 size 6 or 8. This is a Jig Hook with approximately 3X long shank, Oshauughnessy bend. I also tie a smaller version on Eagle Claw 570 #8 |
| Tail (Antennae): |
Black or rootbeer Krystal Flash. Top with light mottled natural deer hair tips. Size and Tie deer hair tips over the point of the hook and extending just beyond the end of the fly. This will form a base for the large head of the crayfish and the tips will be the mouth parts |
| Body Overlay: |
Tan furry foam. Start with a strip approximately 5/8 to 3/4 in. wide for a size 6 and use thinner portions for the smaller sizes. Cut a slight V and tie in the strip upright but on the under side of the deer hair tips. Stretch as you wind back to the end of the fly. |
| Body Dubbing: |
A light ginger dubbing mix of rabbit (1/2), tan antron (1/4) and gold brite lites chopped (1/4) or a suitable loose dubbing mixture. Ginger chenille may also be used, but I prefer the flash. This dubbing will be applied in three parts. A loose dubbing over the deer hair tips (head 1/3). A loose dubbing applied in a dubbing loop for the leg portion (middle 1/3) after the claws, ribbing and hackle are secured. A tightly dubbed tail section (front 1/3) unless you use a tube jig head that I prefer. |
| Claws: | Natural Cottontail rabbit fur tuffs. Moisten slightly will allow you to size easier to extend, one tuff on each side about to the ends of the mouth parts. |
| Hackle: | Medium large ginger variant 3 or 4 turns palmered over the dubbing in the middle third. |
| Rib: | Copper wire secured at the midpoint of the hook and used to rib the over lay. Front half only |
| Weight: | I prefer 1/32-oz tube jig head. I mold these myself and paint a light tan. Small dumbbell lead eyes may be substituted and secured at the hook eye. |
| Tying Tip: |
When pulling the overlay back over the completed fly, turn the hook over and stretch the furry foam slightly centering over the upright jig eye. Cut the foam beyond the front of the jig for a tail of the crayfish. |
| Marking Pens: |
Brown, tan, and/or olive mottling marks on the over lay. Black for 2 eyes and for the 2 prominent bands in the middle part. Fluorescent orange for the end of the tail and the tips of the claws. |
| Despite the number of steps this fly was designed to be an easy tie and still look like a crayfish. I fish it usually dead drift in the deep pools or twitched very slightly on the bottom of streams. You are going to lose some in the rocks, hence the attempt to be simple. If you are fishing weedbeds, use a predominantly olive version. Stained water may require a black or dark brown version. | |
| Last revised: |
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