Anyone tie cripple flies?

[Steeldrifter 0]

About a year ago i purchased a book written by a michigan author/fly shop owner named Kelly Galloup called Cripples&Spinners the premise of the book is that most fly anglers over look a very productive form of any hatch in not fishing/noyicing that some flys are actually cripples.

 

Cripples are basiclly a fly that has some sort of problem getting off the surface of the water be it because it is blown over and stuck in the surface film or has a "lame" wing and cant fly or the fly was actually hatched crippled.

 

The main theme of the book is that trout are just like any other predator and they will key in on the weak and injured prey before they go after the healthy prey.

 

The flies that are described in the book are tied with a bend in the hook so that the body is bent or tied with one wing upward and the other laying flat on the waters surface.

 

They are very interesting patterns and i an thinking of giving them a try myself and just wondered if anyone else has tried this style of fly?

 

S

[Guest]

I would just like to say i am a pro at tying a cripple fly.I think 75% of mine are cripple. No i get what you mean.That is very interesting.i will have to look into that.

[Steeldrifter 0]

maybe you inadvertently came up with the concept first TT

 

I might work on these tonight and i'll get a pic of them up for ya. I read alot about them but haven't tied any to try out yet but we'll see how they come out.

 

SD

[Guest]

Kelly Galloup's cripple flies are absolutely excellent and the book is well worth reading, I got a copy a few months ago and even received some of the flies from Halcyon on the FlyFisherman board in a swap. Halcyon is an excellent tyer.

The logic behind Mr Galloup's theories is immaculate, watch the duns float past while the fish hit the easy targets(cripples and spinners), hence the name of the book.

The theories are not totally new, G E M Skues was using reversed nymphs in Hampshire UK -early last century

but Kelly does a very good job of simplifying the modern mystique.

 

Of course I have to agree with him as my Avon Special emerger (1978) was designed for just that, but that's an emerger.

Get a copy of the book for a whole series of cripples and spinners.

The crippled duns are a treat, a bit like the easypeasyUSD I put into the tyer of the year competition, but I hate to waste hackle

 

Here is a taste of the man's talent, for more buy the book, you will be pleased

http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/kgcripple/index1.html

 

Happy tying

Roy

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Heres my first attempt at a cripple fly tonight..........

 

 

SD

[Guest]

That looks absolutely spot on.

and was it easy?

Bet it was.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Thanks for the kind words roy....

 

Yupp these are extremely easy and i really like the looks of them cant wait for the rivers to drop back down to normal levels now so i can give them a try.

 

SD

[Ladykiller 0]

I got the book on order myself .....

 

And I passed on fishing this weekend due to the high dirty water. I'm willing to bet even streamer fishing would have been tough today.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Its a very good read LK i think you'll find the book very interesting.

 

Also from the sounds of it your not the only one that passed on this weekend seems like some others did the same.

 

SD

[Ladykiller 0]

I know that system well enough now to know when to stay home and when to go and fish. The USGS site helps as well. And the way gas prices are, I got to cut back on my travel.

 

One of my buddies called me tonight ... the action was slow today. The SB was very high.

 

I plan to go up next weekend.

[temno pivo 0]

You can also get the video to go with the book, I find this method of communication helps by watching people who tie the flies. The tier might do a technique that not is not explained in the book.

 

http://www.jackdennis.com/jdtapes3.htm

 

A good example is in the CD ROM "The Art Of Fly Tying", the instructor who ties the wing for the Elk Hair Caddis or Troth caddiss, wraps a loop of thread around the wing then around the hook shank to stop the spinning of the helk hair around the hook shank. The method makes tying hair wing flies a snip.

[Steeldrifter 0]

I agree with that temno seeing someone tie on a video you can pick up hints and procedures that you might otherwise miss in a book.

 

I just checked and greencaddis also carrys a cripple title that i havent seen before

 

http://www.greencaddis.com/advanced_search...ywords=cripples