# Crayfish Fly



## ellisredfish (Jul 5, 2005)

There is a pattern for tying this fly in the winter issue of Fly Tyer magazine. It is really easy to tie. The hard part is trying to decide what feathers to use.


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## DrumInPublic (Jun 20, 2009)

Ellis, you have done it again my friend. I must say, that is one of the tastiest looking mudpuppy flies I have ever seen. I wonder however if the feathers used for the claws will become too streamlined during the retrieve? Either way keep tying, we love seeing your craftsmanship.


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## Boboe (Feb 11, 2009)

Those "claw feathers" look wide and rigid. They're not like marabou (or to a lesser extent saddle hackle) that gets incredibly small when wet.

I can't find the bend or point of the hook in the photo. I assume it's coming out of the top of the head, but I can't find it in the picture.


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## ellisredfish (Jul 5, 2005)

The bend of the hook is under the crayfish as per the instructions in the magazine. I didn't like that method so I used a jig hook and tied another one. Those little feathers are very rigid but I went ahead and epoxied them anyway.


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## Goags (May 28, 2004)

Ellis, I wanna have a big boil for Super Sunday. Where can I get a tote sack of those? If I was a red, I'd be all over it!


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## J L Dunn (Sep 16, 2005)

Goags said:


> Ellis, I wanna have a big boil for Super Sunday. Where can I get a tote sack of those? If I was a red, I'd be all over it!


I knew it! I knew it! Surf long enough and you'll gravitate to the best of fishing..."catch 'em with a fly rod" 

I knew you fabricated "poles" (and very pretty ones at that) Jerry, but I did not know of your interest in fly fishing. Ellis really did create an improved version of the Fly Tyers illustration.

Good job Ellis!

JLD


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## Snap Draggin (Nov 11, 2007)

Very nice indeed, but isn't it spelled crawfish around here? :biggrin:


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## ellisredfish (Jul 5, 2005)

Thanks for the comments guys. Crayfish is the English name taken from old French for craw or crawing. I read that in the article in the magazine. Back home in West Texas we call them crawdads. I spent the first few years of my life living on a sheep ranch and we had a stock pond near the ranch house. My mother would take a string and tie a piece of bacon fat to it which I would then poke down the crawdad's hole and bring the critter out. Our crawdads are large and red colored.


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## Snap Draggin (Nov 11, 2007)

I haven't been coming to this particular forum that much. I'm sure you have tied a crab fly. Can you put up some photos of it?


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## ellisredfish (Jul 5, 2005)

Here you go. Here is one pattern that I tie.


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## J L Dunn (Sep 16, 2005)

ellisredfish said:


> Here you go. Here is one pattern that I tie.


Nice Ellis,

Question...I've caught fish on a tooth brush just to prove to doubters that I could. How has your "crab" performed?

Just askin'

JLD


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## ellisredfish (Jul 5, 2005)

Hi J L, I haven't had the chance to try it out yet. I just tied it this week and I am also working on my boat at the time. Your post reminds me of what a lady told me at work a few years back. I was complaining that I had not found live shrimp at Galveston on my last fishing trip. She asked me why I did not use earthworms. She grew up in Galveston during the depression and her mother would dig up worms and send her to the ferry landing to catch fish for dinner. She told me that she caught specks, flounder, and reds on worms.


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## tail-chaser (May 5, 2007)

J L Dunn said:


> I've caught fish on a tooth brush just to prove to doubters that I could.


OMG...............wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ellisredfish (Jul 5, 2005)

Around these parts the first plastic lures were fashioned from tooth brush handles and they caught fish.


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