Well with a new project at work and all I haven't been able to get out as much as I'd like, though I did manage to get out for a couple hours Saturday evening. Given what time I had I decided to give the stretch downstream from Hogs Back a shot. I know the SM there tend to be on the small side but they do fight well and occasionally you'll hook into a larger one...that combined with a 4wt always makes for fun.
With the exception of an older couple that left shortly after I arrived I had the stretch of river all to myself. While there was an amzing Hex hatch last night, thought the rises from the smaller fish indicated a sub-surface take. My guess is that the were hitting the rising caddis flies.
After playing with the little guys for a while I decided to see if any of the larger ones were around. The fly of choice was an outcast crayfish (olive claws) Within 5 mins of putting on the fly I had my first 12" SM. On my next cast...wham...another 12" SM. Both were pretty chunky, but the second one was just a pig, gorging itself on crayfish. Not only did it regurgitate one, but in addition to my fly it also had a 3" crayfish lodged in it's throat.
All in all I figure about 2 dozen smallies for two hours of relaxing fishing. Not bad by urban fishing standards.
Sat Fish'n Fix at Hogs Back
Sat Fish'n Fix at Hogs Back
"There wouldn't have been any butt kickings if that stupid death ray had worked."
I have to agree with you on the crayfish imitation. I had a wild night on the Mississippi at Appleton with a pheasant tail crayfish. Last time I tried to make these, they didn't turn out so well but now with all my lessons at the OFS (hint, hint) flytieing sessions, they are turning out pretty good. Once I put it on I got 4 large bass in the 16" range in less than half an hour. I'll post a pic of the fly when I get some time.
bobfly
bobfly
Hey bob the outcast crayfish is one of ICJ's patterns and is simple to tie.
hook: 9671 #4-14
Claws: Two chunks of olive rabbit fur (I just use rabbit strips)
Body: Medium-width beige or tan chenille (I used brownish crystal chenille)
Ribbing: copper wire
Back: Tan plastic raffia, trimmed to form a tail.
I also added two strands of copper crystal flash as antennea.
hook: 9671 #4-14
Claws: Two chunks of olive rabbit fur (I just use rabbit strips)
Body: Medium-width beige or tan chenille (I used brownish crystal chenille)
Ribbing: copper wire
Back: Tan plastic raffia, trimmed to form a tail.
I also added two strands of copper crystal flash as antennea.
"There wouldn't have been any butt kickings if that stupid death ray had worked."
I don't think pattern is nearly as important as motion.
You never see a crayfish dead drift like some nymphs. The are either hiding in rocks, woods or weeds and not very available to fish but most I think are taken when they spook and pop up off bottom, tail pumping rapidly with claws, legs and antennae streaming out behind as they scoot along well off bottom.
I've seen many do that and it all (streaming claws and pumping carapace and legs) looks just a heavily weighted, rapidly stripped brown or olive wooly bugger.
I know that is not as much fun as fashioning exact replicas of crayfish.
I used to catch alot of big smallies on helgramite imitations (rivers here are full of them) fished dead drift like a nymph upstream then as it started to swing fished it back with short strips (they can swin but just a bit).
My favourite helgramite was a Murrays from Virginia. It was just a heavily weighted black wooly bugger with ostrich herl instead of marabou and "V" shaped black rubber feelers. The ostrich herl is stiffer than marabou and holds its shape better on a dead drift and does not wrap around the shank.
You never see a crayfish dead drift like some nymphs. The are either hiding in rocks, woods or weeds and not very available to fish but most I think are taken when they spook and pop up off bottom, tail pumping rapidly with claws, legs and antennae streaming out behind as they scoot along well off bottom.
I've seen many do that and it all (streaming claws and pumping carapace and legs) looks just a heavily weighted, rapidly stripped brown or olive wooly bugger.
I know that is not as much fun as fashioning exact replicas of crayfish.
I used to catch alot of big smallies on helgramite imitations (rivers here are full of them) fished dead drift like a nymph upstream then as it started to swing fished it back with short strips (they can swin but just a bit).
My favourite helgramite was a Murrays from Virginia. It was just a heavily weighted black wooly bugger with ostrich herl instead of marabou and "V" shaped black rubber feelers. The ostrich herl is stiffer than marabou and holds its shape better on a dead drift and does not wrap around the shank.