January Fly of the Month: The Crackleback

NOTE: At monthly chapter meetings we feature a "Fly of the Month" and everyone is encouraged to participate.  

Tie and bring to the meeting two or more of the "Fly of the Month" and you will receive a raffle ticket for each fly.  Those who have not tied a fly for the raffle can purchase tickets for a dollar apiece.  The winning ticket gets half of all the flies.  The other flies are retained by the chapter.

THE FLY OF THE MONTH is seeking a new coordinator and editor. A big thank you to Sig Holtz for the many years of coordinating the FOM. If you are interested contact me at patcrisci@midhudsontu.org.

The Crackleback is a rather unusual, but simple to tie fly. I think it’s every bit as much a fly tying technique as it is a fly pattern.

You can tie this pattern in any number of colors and sizes to suggest a variety of aquatic and terrestrial insects — caddis fly, stone fly, or even a terrestrial. And you can fish The Crackleback wet or dry to imitate them. I have heard it’s a good pattern for panfish as well as trout.

Tie a few Cracklebacks and give them a try. Here is the recipe:

Hook:       Dry fly hook of your choice in sizes 12 to 16

Thread:    Rusty brown 8/0

Back:        Peacock herl

Hackle:    Furnace or brown

Body:       Cream fur dubbing

 For a video on how to tie this fly is tie go to: https://news.orvis.com/fly-fishing/video-tie-crackleback

The Crackleback is an easy to tie, impressionistic fly. Fish it wet or fish it dry.

The Crackleback is an easy to tie, impressionistic fly. Fish it wet or fish it dry.

Pat Crisci