When it comes to crayfish patterns, I am surprised at how many popular flies are not well designed. Some flies have huge claws coming out of the fly's head and float or drift with the hook pointed down, ready to snag the first piece of debris it encounters. Despite this, crayfish are such an important food item on many rivers, and fish see so few imitations, that they will hit a mediocre imitation with surprising regularity. Once you start using well-proportioned crayfish patterns, your success will surely increase, and you will always have a few patterns in your fly box ready for action.

Softshell crayfish with small claws are the most vulnerable to fish. Patterns slightly lighter in color than a hard-shell natural, with short rabbit strips for claws work best. A fish is more likely to pursue a crayfish with tiny claws than one with a large set of menacing pinchers.

Good crayfish patterns are designed differently than other flies. They get to the bottom quickly and resist snagging on rocks and logs. The pattern also has to have the profile and general color of the real thing and act like a real crayfish on a typical fly-fishing retrieve. To do this I recommend using materials that hold their shape underwater and also provide some natural movement. Hen saddle feathers are common for crayfish claws as are squirrel tail and looped hackles, but for the most movement, rabbit strips are tough to beat.

A lot of good crayfish patterns have started to come out of the woodwork the past few years. The following are excellent patterns that have evolved from waters around the country that may be able to help you on your local waters.

Full Motion Crayfish. This is a pattern I developed with the help of my close friend and fellow guide Ken Collins of Grand River Troutfitters. It looks and acts like a crayfish in the water, and because of its hourglass eyes it gets down to where the crayfish live.

Though they are not as widespread in Rocky Mountain streams as they are in the Midwest and South, crayfish populations are high enough in many trout streams that fish eat them. And because fish are not bombarded with crayfish patterns in these areas, your imitation doesn't need to look exactly like a natural.

Since crayfish crawl along the rocks, that is where your fly should be the majority of the time. I like to use heavy hourglass eyes tied to the top of the hook shank on most of my crayfish patterns so they ride hook point up and don't snag the bottom. I tie this pattern with smaller, lighter eyes for shallow water and heavier eyes for deep water or areas with more current. When in doubt, go with eyes that are heavier than you think you need because the rest of the fly is more buoyant than a sparsely tied Clouser Minnow.

I tie this pattern inverted and backward so the bulky part and legs stick out near the hook bend. The slender abdomen occupies the bulk of the hook shank. The tail has a natural flare at the front of the hook just like a natural.

I use Zonker strips and rubber legs, two materials that are well suited to imitate crustaceans' movement. If you watch crayfish in the water, they always seem to move their legs and antennae.

Furry Foam works great for the profile and shell back of a crayfish. This material is easy to work with, soft, and makes a realistic shell for a crayfish imitation.

Huz-Ur-Daddy

HOOK: #2-4 3XL streamer hook. THREAD: Black 6/0. WEIGHT: Lead wire (optional). SHELL BACK: Olive Scud Back. CLAWS: Fox squirrel tail. HACKLE: Olive saddle hackle or schlappen. RIB: Copper wire. BODY: Olive Crystal Chenille. LEGS: Silicone rubber legs.

Huz-Ur-Daddy. This pattern is a popular Western pattern designed by Dane Huzarski. It imitates large crayfish well, and the bold profile and flashy body help fish key on it.

James's Outcast Crayfish. The Outcast Crayfish created by Ian James is the easiest to tie of the patterns listed here, and you won't have second thoughts about throwing it into tight spots or dragging it along the bottom. The rabbit-fur claws provide excellent action, and it has been used to catch a variety of fish species. James's favorite gamefish-carp-are especially fond of this pattern.

Ryan's Soft-shell Crayfish. Will Ryan created this pattern in the Northeast, mainly for lake fishing. However, it does a great job imitating soft-shell crayfish in a variety of water types. It has many lifelike attributes, is easy to tie, and is deadly when bounced or dragged along the bottom.

Theo's Dream. This is one of the original bead-head creations from Theo Bakelaar and an excellent imitation of newly-hatched crustaceans. I use this on a nymph rig on my home river through early June when certain areas of the river are polluted with newborn crayfish. The added bonus of this fly is that it also imitates sow bugs and other nymphs that fish frequently see.

Clouser Crayfish. Bob Clouser's Crayfish is one of my favorites. This fly is tied unweighted or lightly weighted, allowing it to tumble naturally in the current with a realistic profile. There are two versions: one with a turkey quill shell back and one with a Furry Foam shell back. Clouser uses the turkey quill shell back tied in smaller sizes for trout and the Furry Foam shell back on larger hooks for bass. This is the first crayfish pattern I fell in love with, and looking at my Full Motion Crayfish pattern you can see that I borrowed a lot of elements from this fly and the Clouser Minnow.

Whitlock's Near 'Nuff Crayfish

HOOK: #4-8 Tiemco 5263. THREAD: Light brown or orange 6/0. ANTENNAE: orange craft fur, Pumpkin Sili Legs, and three strips of Black Spanflex. Paint tips fluorescent red or orange. EYES: Burned Mason Mono. PINCHERS:Two grizzly hen hackles with a dot of fluorescent red paint on the tip. LEGS: Webby hackle dyed orange. THORAX: Brown rabbit and gold Antron dubbing and gold Flashabou. WEIGHT: Dumbell eyes painted brown. NOSE: Golden brown rabbit fur.

Whitlock's Soft-shell and Near Nuff. These patterns were designed in the Ozarks but catch fish throughout North America. Dave's Soft-shell Crayfish is a great pattern, but it takes too much time, patience, and skill to tie. Plus you have to come to terms with losing a few flies while fishing a boulder-studded run. I prefer to use patterns that are simpler to tie and thus easier to leave on the bottom of the river. However, Dave has addressed this issue with his Near Nuff Crayfish. This simple pattern is a real winner when fish are on the bite, and in my opinion it actually fishes better than the more intricate soft-shell pattern.

Crayfish Archive
CLICK HERE for a list of the best crayfish patterns from our fly-tying archive of patterns. Don't see yours on the list? Feel free to submit your own crayfish creation!
 

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