Here's a crawfish pattern

[Ian Horning]

I tied this dude up for the purpose of targeting largemouth and smallmouth bass. To be fished much like a bass jig, in incorporates a moderately heavy head that will add extra speed and to the fall. Fly fishing for bass in water less than 10 feet deep is a breeze with fly gear, and usually you'd be fishing water even shallower. Interestingly, I've found that often times properly presented flies can out-perform standard gear due to the slow sinking action of flies compared to their heavy lead-headed brothers. Its always much more fun on fly gear anyways.

Tying:
#4 streamer hook, preferably stout
Feelers/antennae: Rubber legs
Claws: Saddle hackle/Shlappen
Body: Chenille
Legs/ underbody: Wound Saddle Hackle
Shell/Carapace: Rabbit strip
Weight: Dumbell Eyes

Happy bassing!

[Bodofish]

That looks like a great one!!! I like it! I've been looking for a good mud bug, big trout eat them too.

[MotoBoat]

Ian, does the hook point ride up or down? looks like down.

[Bodofish]

Ian, does the hook point ride up or down? looks like down.

Very good point (no Pun) for both the mud bug and shrimps. They kinda move along the bottom.

[Ian Horning]

Actually with the hook point up. It's concealed by the rabbit strip. The fur is over the hook, not the actual skin strip. This is a prototype and would work better with a wide gap, heavy wire hook. I used a standard streamer hook, which works, but better hookups would be with a hook with a wider gap, for bass at least.

[MotoBoat]

I noticed where the barbell eyes were located (under the hook shank as it is pictured), So, the fly would be fairly weedless, hook point up. But could not make out a hook point.

What fish species have you caught with either newly tied fly pattern?

[Ian Horning]

Man y'all should see this thing when it gets wet. It's honestly ridiculous. And it does catch fish, and pretty damn well. I was out for a couple of hours just messing around at a local lake, and managed five bass and a crappie on the fly. The biggest ones were 17" and 15" and the rest were 10-12. This lake rarely grows fish over five pounds and 12 inches is more or less the "average" with the bigger ones being hard to come by. I'm pretty stoked!

[MotoBoat]

Damn, nice catch Ian. Crappie must have been a decent size to get that fly in it's paper thin mouth.