drowned cricket

[Fred H. 0]

Trying to come up with a pattern to imitate a cricket than can be fished deep. this one is semi realistic. But tough. It just took too long to tie.Does anyone have a pattern for a cricket that can be converted to a sinking pattern?

 

 

[Dart 0]

Holy crap, Fred! I don't think you need any suggestions. That is nothing short of inspiring. Can you give us a recipe?

[flytyer56 0]

Very nice tie Fred. You could use a dubbed body with a turkey tail feather section for the wing and rubber legs. Add a bead head or wrap the hook shank with lead wire to help it sink.

[Fred H. 0]

Dart, the fly looks okay. It takes too long to tie for fishing. Considering I could loose some to tree limbs or deep water stumps. But the recipe is a black 4mm bead on a 4x number 10 hook. 8/0 thread ,mono and hackle for the legs,goose biots for the tail and swiss straw for the wings and collar. The legs took the longest. If I don't find an easier pattern I will work on a way to simplify them. Will probably look at molding them like the ones you can buy.

I'll be fishing for deep water gills so they will have to stand up to alot of abuse. I also coat the tie in points of the swiss straw with epoxy for added strength.

Fred

[Dart 0]

Thanks for the reply, Fred. It sounds like a similar recipe that I attempted when I tried a cricket. Apparently the application was VERY different as yours looks great. The part I had the hardest time with was the collar and the thick thighs. Yours looks great though.

 

Jeff

[deflyguy 0]

you could try using quick descent dubbing and crippling one of the cricket legs

[Futzer 0]

HI Fred, I have an idea, I am painting a room this weekend, but will sneak to the vice and send a pic.

 

Cheers, Futzer.

[JSzymczyk 0]

Bully Spider. It is suggestive enough. It can be fished deep and fine rubber legs wiggle even when it is doing nothing but sinking. Very fast to tie, just a few wraps of lead, chenille, and rubber legs. I doubt bluegills (or anything else) really see enough crickets to know what they are. They just see something that looks and smells edible. IMO a small tan Bully Spider would do a fine job suggesting a cricket.

 

 

[maddog48 0]

Try a Letort Cricket. You could probably get away with a little lead under the black dubbed body and let it ride just in the surface film.

 

 

Mike

[DrVette 0]

I use a pheasant tail leg on hoppers that would work well. Just take 3-5 fibers from the tail and tie them into a half square knot. It is easier with the miniature crotchee (sp?) needle i got as a hopper leg tool but you can do almost as well pulling the tag through the loop with hemostats or narrow tweezers. I should trim the extra fibers after the knot but prefere the way it floats with them all there.

 

Another i have seen and like is to tie a hackle feather the same way and trim it to look like a hopper leg. I wish i had a camera that would focus down on flies better. I will try here.

 

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

I do the same as vette only with turkey tail works great

[Futzer 0]

Trying to come up with a pattern to imitate a cricket than can be fished deep. this one is semi realistic. But tough. It just took too long to tie.Does anyone have a pattern for a cricket that can be converted to a sinking pattern?

 

 

 

Well Fred, Here it is "Deep Cricket". Let me know if that is what you are after.

 

Cheers, Futzer

[tidewaterfly 0]

I use a stone nymph that I found in the pattern database. I tie it in black, black/brown & dark grey to imitate drowned crickets.

 

http://www.flytyingforum.com/pattern98.html

[tyrite 0]

A another great fly Fred!! Great job.

 

tyrite

[Bob Cunningham 0]

Don't be so hard on yourself, Fred. That is a beautiful looking tie for sure, and I can see that it looks like a lot of work. Not one to surrender to the tree gods without some :wallbash: Please keep us posted on what you come up with.