Utilitarianism

My box of creatures has been fairly neglected recently so I've been filling the spaces with a version my mate Chuck's crayfish pattern. The main reason is that it's super quick and I'm pretty busy at the moment, but as I've been tying them I've been thinking about how practical a fly it is. It might actually be a functionally perfect fly. It doesn't look like a lot of other crayfish flies in that it's simple, has no claws, eyes or antenna-it's just a shape with no appendages. The fly didn't start like that, but over the years he's been paring it down until finally arriving at a utilitarian fly that only has what it needs to be effective.  

Despite being a very effective fly, it's not a fly you'd find in many shops, because it doesn't have all the supposed triggers that many anglers want and expect on a crayfish imitation. But what it lacks in bin appeal, it makes up for in practical fishing value:

• It’s the right size – at around 1.5 inches it falls right in the 1.25-2.25” size range that smallmouth have been shown to prefer.
• It’s heavy, it gets to the bottom quickly and stays there. After a hop it dives quickly and then stands up defensively like a real crayfish trying to avoid being eaten.
• Its weight means than on a floating line, even with a very long leader, it provides consistent feedback from the bottom. You can be absolutely certain if you are making bottom contact or not.
• The quick dive and metal dumbbell create sound and small puffs of silt on the retrieve mimicking a fleeing cray fish and drawing attention.
• It doesn’t look formidable- studies have shown bass are more likely to attack crayfish with smaller/fewer claws, and a preference for smaller more translucent crayfish. An easy meal just makes more sense.
• It ALWAYS rights itself, the hydrodynamics and the weight make it sink in a hook up attitude, even if it tumbles on the bottom it rights itself- it’s like a Weeble!
• It’s durable- this fly takes a beating from the bottom and the fish so it has to be tough.
• It’s a 2-3 minute tie. You’re going to lose crayfish patterns to the bottom, depending on where you fish you might be losing a lot of them. It’s much less painless to lose a fly like this than a 20 minute tie.

If you fish for crayfish eating species, I really  think your should give these simple flies a try. I doubt you’d be disappointed if you did.

I had Chuck send me a picture of one of his (POD) along with the pattern, here’s what he says

Hook: Ahrex FW580-size 6

Weight: Medium lead eye and fill the shank with 0.025 lead wire

Tail: folded slip of turkey tail -or any feather you have lying around

Body: variegated chenille

Wing: squirrel tail in a suitable colour- he also uses pheasant tail.

That’s it. Tie some up.