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Epoxy crawdad

3K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  DFix 
#1 ·
Back when I used to keep trout I always was amazed by the number of crayfish in their bellys. I've tried a number of patterns over the years and always felt that something was lacking. Most patterns just don't blend in to the background as well as the natural. It struck me when I saw Striblue tie the epoxy flounder that Juro inspired at SSully's tying clave that I could chuck aside many of the habitat matching problems if I switched to neutral & translucent materials. This is my first experiment in that vein. It is a simple fly with few materials. I haven't fished it yet.

Hook: Daichi 1750 # 8
Thread: Monofilament
Weight: small dumbell
claws & tail: Slinky fiber
legs: Sillicone fibers

Bind the dumbell down on the top of the hook at the point of the hook. Make a ball of thread to the rear of the dumbell. Cut a small amount of slinky fiber ~ 4" long. Lay it along one side of the hook with ~ a shank length sticking beyond the bend, and tie it down using the thread ball to force it to stand up &angle out. Wrap to the front of the hook then loop the slinky fiber aound to the other side of the hook with a similiar amount sticking off the rear of the hook wrap to the rear then tie off the thread. Cut the tail & claws to shape
Then form the body with 5 minute epoxy on a sheet of waxed paper or plastic. After it has gelled cut the epoxy to shape then super glue the legs in place & cover them with 5 minute epoxy.
 

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#5 ·
Chris, I hadn't thought about that I'm going to have to do more experimenting.

Pete, Thats a possibility, I was also planning on experimenting with olive & brown Slinky fiber as well.

The other thing that has crossed my mind was to leave off one or both claws, based on Berkleys study show bass bit plastic crayfish more if there were no claws.
 
#6 ·
John...nice shape on that... If you get a chance try one with Small hackle tips for legs, imbedded in the epoxy....or take a regular hackle feather and take your fingers and ,going from the tip ,and "open" the feathers by slipping your finger down the stock.... then take some scissors and cut the hackles ends right close to the feather stock or shaft to create a thin "hairy" leg. Another way is to take some Turkey biots strips and epoxy them in for legs...like some tyers do with stone flie patterns.
 
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