Crayfish for Trout?

[JMP]

I just tied several Al Ritt's Fighting Crayfish patterns. I like the way they posture, but not how sure they will function in flowing water. I tied them in a size #8. I know they can be used for warm water applications. Does anyone use a crayfish pattern for trout? Here is a link to the pattern. http://www.theweeklyfly.com/TWF/2009/06/22/al-ritt-ritt-s-fighting-crayfish-17-06

 

[SBecker]

Crayfish work well. I know Mike Heck really likes using them on the Cumberland County streams.

 

[Chooch]

Crayfish are deadly for trout under the right circumstances. It helps if the stream has a good population of crayfish. That pattern seems like it would work but also seems a bit more complex than needed. It seems more like a stripping type of pattern. Personally, I love dead drifting crayfish in deep riffles or riffles that empty into deep pools. The best pattern in my opinion is the Clouser crayfish. Great profile, simple and cheap to tie and reliable as they get. One of the best days I had a popular wild trout stream was using a crayfish. I put it on kind of as a joke because I was not turning a thing and the fish pounded it.

 

[mike_richardson]

I had one smash my crayfish pattern. Poor guy inhaled it. He didn't make it. I think I had some picture's up of it. I had directed a few of my uncles browns last year at camp. All had crayfish in them.

 

[Maurice]

My trout/crayfish memory involves Kettle Creek and camping at Ole Bull with my brother and son back in the early 90's. My son was only 6, so I guess it was '97. My brother and I would take turns heading upstream alone from the camping area and fish while the other stayed back and kept an eye on my son.

I had on an olive Wolly Bugger and drifted it through a run a few times and then wham! It started moving upstream. I brought to hand a fat 15" brownie, when I went to un hook it I reached toward its mouth to find two wolly buggers in its mouth...except one was moving. It was a crayfish the exact same color as my crayfish (I mean Wolly bugger, see I am still confused) .

I will never forget that. It was one of those; confused, startled, ah haaaaa, moments.

 

[lv2nymph]

Yet something else the amazing wooly imitates...

 

[afishinado]

Maurice wrote:
My trout/crayfish memory involves Kettle Creek and camping at Ole Bull with my brother and son back in the early 90's. My son was only 6, so I guess it was '97. My brother and I would take turns heading upstream alone from the camping area and fish while the other stayed back and kept an eye on my son.

I had on an olive Wolly Bugger and drifted it through a run a few times and then wham! It started moving upstream. I brought to hand a fat 15" brownie, when I went to un hook it I reached toward its mouth to find two wolly buggers in its mouth...except one was moving. It was a crayfish the exact same color as my crayfish (I mean Wolly bugger, see I am still confused) .

I will never forget that. It was one of those; confused, startled, ah haaaaa, moments.

+1. I've tied and fished all types of flies to imitate crayfish for both trout and SMBs, and have had as much or more success fishing an olive or brown bugger to imitate them.

 

[Fishidiot]

No doubt - trout love crayfish. Many of my local streams get too warm for trout in summer so I'll fish 'em in June and try to harvest some of the stockies before they die off. I find crayfish in the stomachs of most of them.

 

[mike_richardson]

Here is the trout i caught on the crayfish pattern. You can see how far he ingested it. I watched my line take off up stream and the fight was on!

 

[delta_dog]

By the look of the upper lip on that fish I would saw it has been rooting for crayfish for sometime.

 

[sandfly]

clouser crayfish tied on small hooks sz. 8 and 10's are killer for trout in the north central streams especially at dawn and dusk..

 

[mike_richardson]

"By the look of the upper lip on that fish I would saw it has been rooting for crayfish for sometime."

Delta,

I had thought this as well but also drew a few other conclusions as well. This fish was stocked probably a month or two before this picture was taken. I narrowed it down to:

1. him hurting his nose while at the hatchery and my line cutting his nose re opening the scab. (most likely)

2. this stream has more crayfish and he was searching for them.

3. He was nymphing

I may try a kick net on this stream as well sometime and see what is in the stream. This is not an approved trout stream as well.