Crane Prairie Special

[tljack 0]

Years ago I tied and used this fly with great success at Crane Prairie Res. in Central Oregon.

 

Over the years I apparently used my last one. I can not remember what it looked like any longer. I would love to tie some up again. I am wondering if any of the great minds here have heard of this pattern.

 

If I could only see a picture of one I can tie it.

 

Otherwise if you can tell me how to tie it. Either way I will be most appreciative.

 

Terry

[FlaFly 0]

I looked on Google Images... usually that is a good way to find a fly, but for this title there's an assortment of different ones. If you try going there you might recognize it from one of them.

[tljack 0]

I checked Google and Bing. The Crane Prairie Special is a specific pattern. It is very colorful and quite large.

[utyer 0]

A peacock herl woolly bugger with a bright orange egg yarn tail and brown hackle?

[whatfly 0]

Local patterns are always hard to find, especially if they are just renamed variants of a known pattern. I'd recommend giving the Patient Angler a call and see if they have any ideas: http://www.patientangler.com/. They've been in Bend long enough that I'm sure they'll have heard of this fly, if it is a prominent one, and they may even have a few in their fly bins. Exceptional fly shop with a very helpful staff.

[carpflyguy 0]

I'm going to be fishing Crane Prarie this summer. I'll have a look. Is it a streamer, nymph, etc?

[tljack 0]

This fly is a streamer. I appreciate all of the suggestions. I go to GP often during each year and they do not have them at the resort. Will check with the Bend shop.

 

BTW, the German Brown that is my profile picture was caught there. 14lb 2oz

[tljack 0]

I have been digging through my fly boxes and what to my wonder should appear; a Brushpile Stimulator! I tied one up and I obviously need some practice. I will get one that looks right and try to post it in case someone is interested in seeing it.

 

I have not tied one for probably 30 years. In it's day it was a pretty hot fly on the Metolius River here in Central Oregon. In larger sizes it worked pretty good for steelhead also.

 

Can't wait to give them a try again.

 

Terry

[carpflyguy 0]

Thats an impressive brown trout! Crane Prarie seems like a good fishery... can't wait to give it a shot.

[Kilchis 0]

I found this website while doing a nostalgia search for the Crane Prairie Special pattern, and Google took me to this thread. I used to tie some CPS's back in the early 80's for a friend who lived near Smith Rocks. The fly is a streamer. It was unweighted because Crane Prairie is fairly shallow overall and littered with thousands of submerged logs. Except for two excursions in 40+ years, I didn't start fishing Crane until last year, so back in the day I never actually used what I tied, just gave them away.

 

The fly was a big 'un, tied on a #2 Mustad 9672. It was black. The materials I used 35 years ago were:

• Thread - Black Nymo (Yeah, I'm that old!)
• Tail - Black fibers, tied sparse. Variously used saddle barbules, mink, whatever was at hand and straight.
• Rib - Silver, that nasty articulated flex stuff over a thread core. When wrapped the silver weave opened up. Mylar hadn't come on the scene yet.
• Body - Black chenille. The old kind, no sparkles, no sprinkles, just basic black fuzz. At thorax build a knob to help flare the wings.
• Wings - 4 narrow black saddle hackles well flared, extending just shy of hook bend, two to a side and angled at about 20 and 45 degrees above horizontal. (Twenty degrees is about the angle between your index and middle finger when spread apart.
• Hackle - Black saddle slightly swept back..
• Head - Tying thread.

Does this sound familiar?

 

I will be heading to Crane in late May or early June and in the next week will be tying up a few similar to this pattern, with more contemporary materials.

 

j

[mikechell 0]

Welcome to the site, Kilchis.

Please jump in on some of the other forums and threads.

Always nice to have some "experience" join the discussions.

[Jaydub 0]

Thanks Kilchis. I don't fish Crane a lot, but thought I should have known that fly. I will have to tie a few.

[Bill Morgan 0]

The Crane Prairie special was a large streamer that had two hooks, with the trailer hook being tied to the other with heavy monofilament. We use to troll those early in the morning with the intent of just targeting the large rainbows. It essentially imitated minnows. In those days, late 60’s and early 70’s, one would sometimes see a school of minnows, swimming fast and coming out of the water, as a big wake followed them. Obviously one of the big boys looking for a snack. 
 

Pat Schatz, who along with his wife, use to own and run the resort. He always had some of those flies around and if anyone knows his whereabouts he may have some additional knowledge and perhaps the actual pattern.

[cphubert 0]

Bill, welcome to the site glad to have you.