[speybait]

Best Crawdad pattern:

Brown Woollybugger in size 6-12, weighted on top to ride hook up along the bottom.

Takes 2 minutes to tie and I'd put it up against any "realistic" pattern out there. No difference in fish catching and a lifetime of time-saving/material costs to tie. In fact,it may be obscure enough that a smallie thinks it's either a crawdad or a muddler.Bonus. If you're feeling frisky you can add rubber legs but a long hackle will work just the same.

Lot of Ohio stream research done on this. My opinion. Course, if you like tying realistic patterns then go for it.

Oh yeah, the only other patterns you need take are black woolybuggers (hellgramite mimic?) and a yellowish popper with some green in size 8-12 for topwater.

[$tatutory Rap]

Best Crawdad pattern:

Brown Woollybugger in size 6-12, weighted on top to ride hook up along the bottom.

Takes 2 minutes to tie and I'd put it up against any "realistic" pattern out there. No difference in fish catching and a lifetime of time-saving/material costs to tie. In fact,it may be obscure enough that a smallie thinks it's either a crawdad or a muddler.Bonus. If you're feeling frisky you can add rubber legs but a long hackle will work just the same.

Lot of Ohio stream research done on this. My opinion. Course, if you like tying realistic patterns then go for it.

Oh yeah, the only other patterns you need take are black woolybuggers (hellgramite mimic?) and a yellowish popper with some green in size 8-12 for topwater.

Yeah, that's how I do mine more or less, big dumbell eyes on the bottom and then a basic wooley with some hackle coming out of the ass. I actually add some large mono eyes though, I think fish really key in on eyes when they feed. Olive is a good color.

I'm going to be tying up a bunch of them for Arkansas once I get home next week so I might post photos of a few things then.

[Streamer]

Here's my version of Chuck Kraft's Clawdad:



I added the long black rubber strands as antennae, and switched to silli-legs in lieu of the round rubber legs. I also tie this on a stonefly nymph hook with a bend in it that makes the flystand a little more erect off the bottom and swims a little better too.

Teeheee.....He said "Erect! (Snerk) "

Streamer

[Articulated Trico]

A bit of a hasty pic(pretty much sucks!) but here is a crawdad pattern I use mostly for carp. Pretty sure smallmouth will gobble it! This fly has been chewed on and missing some rubber legs but the only one that is left from my rotation. Anyway, the thing I wanted to point out is the fold of foam I use at the bend of the hook along with dumbell eyes. THis makes this fly sit with the bunny claws up and waving. The other thing is when slid or stripped it really has a contract and extend a crawdad uses for locomotion. Not sure if this fly will fish well with a tip of stripped really fast? But it does site fish very well in slower water.