Fishing The Crayfish Pattern

[yankeefanbob]

I've read soooo much about fly fishing the crayfish pattern, especially during the late summer molting period. Unfortunately I've never had any luck with this fly. How about you? I'ver tried dead drift,stripping, around shoreline rocks and undercuts....

Is there a pattern,technique,area,etc......etc.......etc

I've heard this crayfish thing is the way to go at this time of year. Is there a particular river,creek,stream where it's a go?

Any help???

It surely would be appreciated!

Thanks....

[bigfly]

"The cray pattern" as in Haddon's dead drift cray...Was invented on the Truckee....
I got to test it before it came out comercially.
It was deadly.....now, it's overfished.
Fish are not as thrilled as before.
That's the reason not to fish those famous overly marketed flies...fish can learn...
We still carry and fish'em, but the dropper gets more love.......
Designed for Sept when water temps soar.....
When they molt, they are pale-clawed and soft. That's why they are on the menu.
You may not be getting down enough... they are mostly on the bottom..ABs,AAA's.
They would rarely be midcolumn..
Picture a Cray drifting under an indy...
They are afraid of being eaten......
although you can cast upstream and strip down.....crays do swim fast.....
Faster than you can run.....
Smallmouth like'em too...
Try fishing bubbles.....

Jim

[yankeefanbob]

Thanks Jim.......I always give the "dropper" much more love!

Bob

[Frank R. Pisciotta]

...I fully concur with Jim.

The crayfish pattern has been and is over-hyped. When Tim first got it manufactured by Umpqua, Truckee River Outfitters satellite shop oversold it. IMO opinion it was sort of a joke in that the shop was selling it in the early season; when in fact it is more of an effective pattern starting in late-August into September.

Frank R. Pisciotta

[bigfly]

By the by...I still throw Cutter's Goblin, and things of my own.....that I won't be sending to Umpqua.
Tim's cray is still in the line-up..(In case he reads this.) :) Because it still works used selectively. .
The point is...don't fish like the other guy...
Just break it up..rotate through flies, the same way you change fishing spots, or techniques....keep them guessing for best results.
It's not like fish can stop eating...
They just get more discriminating.....
The question is, can we?
I think the reason we oversold the fly, is because we saw how well it worked...
Like a silver bullet....sigh.
Try fishing them anywhere they don't get fished and hold on....

Jim

[yankeefanbob]

I hear ya Jim.........

Thx, Bob:cool:

[yankeefanbob]

Good info FRP.......

Bob

[cdevine]

Good info FRP.......

Bob

I had some luck fishing it in stillwater recently up at Marlette under an indo stripping slow and deep. Big T I've had better luck with the goblin. Have a good labor day. I will not be on the river. Let the crazies have it this weekend.

[bigfly]

The question arises....
Are there crays in Marlette lake.....?
Might be.....
But if not....the fish ate because they were hungery, and it was moving....
I'd bet almost no one fishes a cray there....so why wouldn't they eat?
No bad memories to put them off....
Sometimes they eat stuff not on the menu.....

Jim

[cdevine]

The question arises....
Are there crays in Marlette lake.....?
Might be.....
But if not....the fish ate because they were hungery, and it was moving....
I'd bet almost no one fishes a cray there....so why wouldn't they eat?
No bad memories to put them off....
Sometimes they eat stuff not on the menu.....

Jim

Jim, most def crays in marlette. Not like the population you see in Tahoe or Donner but I caught a few babies with my hand. The fact they see little pressure and like you say they have to eat made it a fun day. I'm not a stillwater junkie but I enjoy the long hikes where you can find some solitude.

Probably a no brainer but Doug O's "stone daddy" is a pretty successful fly on the Big T which imitates a cray as well.

[mems]

GT's love baby lobsters. Cray fish get hammered by hungry GT's. Make sure you have strong hooks. Mems.

[bigfly]

Nice Don.........
Would like to match that hatch.....
I think I may tie a Jim's cray on a Steelhead hook.........

[yankeefanbob]

Cdevine:

My exact sentiments......

HLD