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View Full Version : Pete's Grandfather of all Crawdads




Vicious Fishous
03-08-2008, 09:20 AM
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/IMG_8751_2_.jpg

I get so frusterated when I see a hungry fish reject a well worked, unrealistic patter that they got too good of a look at, mainly carp, and smallies. My camera is obsolete, this was taken at the Nomad Anglers in Haslett by Brian the owner(they are some of the first ones I tied). My gallery is getting full, and this was the only one I put in it.
I started tying these in hopes to better every craw pattern I ever tied or bought in a flyshop before. They've got everything most of the others didn't. And they get better each time I do it. That's not to say the others didn't catch some fish, in my opinion there were just some improvements that needed be made.
Size 8 curved shank 2x stong, rotatry vise almost mandatory
Heavily bottom weighted so the hook always rides up, so it can be rested on bottom need be.
The head goes slightly up the bend of the hook, in conjunction with the curved shank gives the craw(at rest) the defensive posture they get when confronted with danger.
The eyes, 20# mono(quazi-realistic, not lead barbels) are flexable enough to not interfere with hook-ups, but are always up "watching" for predators.
Split rabbit strip claws have more action than squrrel tail, and are more durable than marabou. The antenna and legs are strong flexible rubber to fight off panfish attacks. I used Sharpies to get the colors desired.(still perfecting)
The swiss straw is doubled up the entire length and goes through the 20# looped mono over the tail. The dubbing is my husky's fur or something light that can be colored.
I've never seen a live crayfish with an up-turned tail, nor have I seen or tied any before with a down-turned tail, until now. I am convinced I have missed fish due to a stiffer up-turned tail interfering with hookups. Seemed like it bounces off the fish's lips first before the point hits, it's all about the leverage, you hit an upward tail, it sends the hook down, hit a downward tail and it sends the hook up, into flesh, not out of mouth.
It was more of a fluke when it happened, I ran out of room for the tail so I un-wound half of it tied in the loop and gave myself a little room. then slapped myself upside the head for not thinking of this before.
After forming the tail I glued the crap out of it to form essentially a stiff crankbait lip that would keep it wanting to go down to the bottom where these things live, not swimming like a minnow in the middle of the water.
I can't wait until spring to whip it out.
Wishin' I was Fishi'n
Pete




ramlund man
03-08-2008, 09:56 AM
those look just awesome--great work!!

Shoeman
03-08-2008, 10:08 AM
WOW!!

I'm going to move this into the pattern forum

Wellston
03-08-2008, 09:13 PM
Great looking crayfish! Thanks for the pattern.
Jim

ESOX
03-09-2008, 08:07 AM
Wow. that is very, very nice. I need to try that.

Egbert Souse
03-09-2008, 05:27 PM
Hi Pete, any chance you would sell me a few of those. Tks

sport72186
03-09-2008, 11:11 PM
id like to see a step by step on this pattern. it looks sweet! very realistic. at first glance i thought it was the fly next to the real thing, then i noticed both were imitations.

Vicious Fishous
03-11-2008, 03:18 PM
Thanks for the compliments! I'll see what I can do about getting the step by step. As for selling them... they take about a 1/2 hour to 40 minutes for me to tie, which for me is the equivilent to giving birth. But I might put some up for "adoption". I've got a dozen in my arsenal right now, and I'll keep pumping them out the best I can.
PETE

Steve
03-11-2008, 06:12 PM
Nice pattern. The picture you posted is nice and compact at 58k so there's no way your gallery should be full if this is the only picture in it. I took a crack at these crayfish a while back but could never get them to turn out as good as this. My sharpie colors always seem to be a bit off.

steelheadpursuit
03-11-2008, 09:09 PM
nice work, great pattern

fishenrg
03-12-2008, 07:43 AM
Fantastic looking pattern there.

I saw above that someone asked if you sold these at all. Please don't sell them to me! I would feel horrible when I sent 30-45 minutes of your life into a tree on my first back cast.:lol:

rangerman
03-15-2008, 04:29 PM
Very nice pattern.

Can you go into a little more detail on how the 20# looped mono is used? It appears from the picture, that you attach the leader to the mono loop, not to the eye of the hook....correct? If that is the case what are the steps to attach the loop relative to the swiss straw and the rest of the body so you have a solid connection?

Does the swiss straw "diving lip" covers the eye of the hook?

I know just the spot on Lake St. Clair where I'm going to throw one of these, once I figure out how to duplicate the pattern.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Burksee
03-15-2008, 04:40 PM
Wow! Where's the melted butter and a bib! Those look good enough to boil and eat! Great looking fly Pete! :)

Bulletproof
03-19-2008, 10:13 PM
Awesome crawdads!

I'd steal a couple out of your box if I knew ya.

Huron River Dan
03-20-2008, 08:24 AM
Looking pattern; you are an artist! Would love to see a step by step sequence.

Tight Lines,

Dan

STEINFISHSKI
03-20-2008, 08:32 AM
Those are beautiful, I could not fish with one.:lol:

Dave
04-14-2008, 03:03 PM
OK!. Tell Pete he just has to post the recipe for this pattern a.s.a.p. please.:coolgleam

Gone Fishing
04-14-2008, 03:27 PM
Wow, some of you guys really amaze me! Great job! :)