Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Craneflies

I saw a fly made with this stuff called UV Chewee Skin that struck me as a great cranefly imitation. I don't have any Chewee skin, so I made one with what I had.
There are two places that I really want to try this - two opposite fisheries. One, a smallish tailwater that is known for it's craneflies - the Beaverhead; the other, a rocky freestone at which I can't quite figure out why there are so many craneflies - the Gallatin in the valley. No matter, I am itching to wet this fly.
Craneflies are a lot like giant midges - they go through complete metamorphosis (larva, pupa, adult like caddis) - as opposed to incomplete metamorphosis (nymph, adult like mayflies and stoneflies). The larva looks like a grub or wax worm, don't know about the pupa, and the adult like a midge-daddy-long-legs hybrid.
I've never fished a cranefly dry, but I had a day this summer where skittered hoppers were working so well that I wondered if the trout were keyed on craneflies - I'd seen a few that day. I gather that fishing cranefly dries is quite the wing-ding - I can't wait.

8 comments:

Will Jordan said...

Not bad, not bad at all. What material did you use? The larva have that translucent quality to them... tough to replicate.

Josh Bergan said...

It's tied on a hook I had sitting on my magnet for a while, so not exactly sure, but it has a York bend (http://www.thebowriver.com/alberta/understanding_fly_tying_hooks.htm). Then thin copper wire for the rib, 1/8" clear scud back, and a dubbing mixture of natural hare's mask and Wapsi sow-scud rainbow. Then I just wanted to get that taper right. I tried to add a strip of pearlescent tinsel because I've seen some larvae with blue-green iridescence, but it would not cooperate. And there's some lead underneath it all. Pretty confident it's gonna get me a 40-incher.

e.m.b. said...

I was at a high country lake this past summer and crane flies were hatching all over the surface. What I would have given for a crane fly dry. This larvae looks fantastic...!

Josh Bergan said...

Nice - I take it the trout were eating them.

e.m.b. said...

Like crazy!

Sanders said...

Good looking bug...well done sir!

Josh Bergan said...

Gracias!

Dustin's Fly Box said...

I love chewie skin! You shouldpick some up