HUD’S WEEDLESS CRAWDAD
Materials: Hook – Gamakatsu 65111 #1/0 Thread – GSP 50 denier Feelers – Bucktail Pincers – Barred Rabbit Hackle – Schlappen / Crazy Legs / Schlappen Body – Crosscut Two Tone Rabbit Carapace – Fish Skin Eyes – Med Lead Barbell Eyes
STEP 1
Place the hook in your vise and wrap a base of thread down the shank to the hook point. Note this hook comes with a wire weed guard, you will need to release it from the hook point to tie this pattern. Be careful winding your thread, as the wire is easily bent!
STEP 2
Attach the barbell eyes to the top of the hook shank, be sure to leave some room in front to attached the shell back and finish off the fly. Secure the eyes as tight as possible and apply some Zap-A-Gap to lock them in place.
STEP 3
Tie in a small clump of buck tail to the rear of the hook shank. Use a bright coordinating color to the fly pattern. (For this light olive color pattern I have used chartreuse bucktail).
STEP 4
Next, attach two small sections of rabbit strip to each side of the bucktail. Tie them in so they angle away from each other.
STEP 5
Tie in a large Schlappen feather by the tip, stroke the feather stem with your scissors to get the outside fibers to lay facing rearward. Carefully wind the schlappen around the hook shank 4-6 turns making sure the fibers are all facing rearward.
STEP 6
Now tie in two clumps of Crazy Rubber Legs, color to suit pattern. Crazy Legs come in sections attached to a flat at the end of the legs. I use ½ of one of these sections. Cut the section into 2 pieces, tie in the legs by the flat section connecting the legs. Next cut the legs in half and use the other piece to cover the bottom of the hook shank.
STEP 7A
Now you will need to locate one of these. This is a super small “hair clip� my wife uses. I suppose if you have a woman living in your house, (or your living in her house), you should be able to locate one of these. If not, I would try a drug store, they make great material clips!
STEP 7B
Use the clip to grasp all of the rubber and hold it to the “tail� section of the fly. This will keep the rubber from getting in your way as you finish the fly. This will work way better than the standard material clip used on a vice. Note: you can clip the material to the vise head if need be..
STEP 8
Prepare another Schlappen feather and wind just in front of the rubber legs.
STEP 9
Next, rotate the fly around so you working on the bottom of the hook shank. Note, this will become the top of the fly due to the location of the lead eyes. Tie on a 3/16� wide section of fish skin. Secure it to the hook shank and add a drop of ZapA-Gap for extra measure!
STEP 10
Tie in a piece of cross cut rabbit strip and wind it forward to the hook eye, be sure and get at least one full wrap in front of the eyes, this will allow some hair to cover the tie in of the lead eyes.
STEP 11
I like to use a marker to color match the thread around the eyes. This could have been done directly after securing the eyes. Note: this is would not be necessary if your using a colored thread.
STEP 12
Now carefully divide the rabbit hair to both sides of the hook and stretch the fish skin forward. Secure it with several wraps of thread, whip finish and clip the thread. Again, if you are using white thread, color to the head to match, and secure the head with a few drops of head cement.
Clip the weed guard back to the hook point and take it for a swim. These hooks are amazing to fish through the reeds, weeds, and brush, they simply will not get fowled, yet even the lightest grab and the wire will give allowing access to the hook point. Hud