# Crayfish(Crawdad) Fly Patterns Recipe



## 18inchBrown (May 1, 2016)

I'm looking for an effective crawdad pattern. I just watched a show with the editor of IN Fishing Magazine. He was throwing Berkley powerbaits on a spinning rig and he was using tubes with the multi straggly legs at the bottom. He said that Berkley did a lot of research and found that bass prefer the simple power baits versus the baits with the claw distinctly incorporated. It is easier to tie a crayfish without the claws for sure. I tied up some Goddeses last summer for the LMR(Little Miami) with marabou tails. I used a post by Cream on his blog as a basis. Maybe it is a crayfish to the bass?
I am asking for this info because after next weeks warm weather the crawdads will start to show up in June. The bite will be on big time starting next week.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

This is a simple pattern I like.
Strip of rabbit and a rabbit collar or even a hackle collar.
I tie some with beads for slower water and some with lead dumbbells for faster spots.
The stallcup crazy dad and near-nuff crawdad are also favs along with the soft- hackle crawfish.
Good luck and good fishing !


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

Holschlag Hackle Flies as well as Goddess Flies work well as crayfish imitations. None of them have a super strong semblance to crayfish on their own but with Tim Holschlag’s “crayfish hop”, the presentation brings the strikes (I highly recommend his books on smallmouth fly fishing). A fellow on Instagram ties up some great looking “tube flies” for smallmouth as well that I’ve been meaning to try, essentially buggers but with a bunch of rubber legs instead of marabou for a tail (like a tube for a spinning rod).


























Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 18inchBrown (May 1, 2016)

Gar thank you for the Crazy Dad recommendation. I tied 3 crazy dads on size 6 3xlong. easy pattern. I like it. I also tries to make something that looks like a crayfish. I tried an imitation based on a guy named Compton. I used size 6 3xlong, For each pattern The top is the first and the bottom is the 3rd attempt. I usually only do 3 of something new until it works.
King I like your flies. They represent the action theory just like the crazy dad. Your skills are outstanding.


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

I love the Clauser crayfish. I bought the kit with materials to tie 2 dozen from Bob's company about 10 years ago. I still have half a dozen to tie. I prefer to tie my own since the ones I buy in the store usually do not have weight in them.
Rickerd


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

18inchBrown said:


> I tied 3 crazy dads on size 6


 Looks great, probably my all time small stream favorite fly.
Good luck and good fishing !


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