Big bass love to eat crawfish but throwing crawfish patterns can be difficult on a fly rod. Most commercially available crawfish fly patterns are either too light or don’t move like a crawfish in the water. My frustration with the commercially available crawfish patterns led me on a quest to create a fly that would get down to the bottom but still have great action in the water. The result was the Keeled Craw. This pattern draws from the Avalon Permit fly, using a mono loop and heavy brass beads to keel the fly and help it get into the strike zone fast. This fly fishes well with a floating line and heavier fly gear, 8 weights and 9 weights seem to work best. Tie some up in various colors and catch a big one!
- Hook: Gamakatsu 60 degree round bend jig hook 3/0
- Weight: Large Dumbell Eyes Plated
- Keel: 4 Nickel 3/16 beads (threaded on 30lb mono)
- Underbody: 5mm Pyrex rattle
- Body: Medium Pearl chenille Rootbeer
- Claws: Magnum cut rabbit zonkers Brown (tied on either side of the fly)
- Legs: Sili legs Perfectly Barred Brown
- Head: Crawdub Dubbing burnt orange (in dubbing loop)
Cohutta Fishing Company
CJones@cohuttafishingco.com