Clouser Crayfish
Crayfish are one of the most important food items for large bass, smallmouth in particular. The Clouser Crayfish rides hook-up and tumbles along the bottom in a realistic crayfish posture. Fish it on a slow, crawling retrieve along rocky bottoms — let it sit, drag it a few inches, stop. Smallmouth will pick it up off the bottom. Works equally well for large brown trout in crayfish-rich rivers. Rust, olive, and tan are most productive.
- Type
- nymph (Warmwater)
- Hook sizes
- #2–6
- Target species
- bass, trout, panfish
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best seasons
- spring, summer, fall
Materials
- hook: Streamer hook #2–6
- thread: Rust or tan 6/0
- eyes: Lead dumbbell eyes (fly rides hook-up)
- pincers: Rust or olive deer hair or marabou, two bunches
- body: Rust, olive, or tan dubbing
- legs: Round rubber legs, tan or olive
Tying steps
- Mount a size 2–6 hook; tie in lead dumbbell eyes at the 1/3 mark from the eye (hook fishes inverted).
- Start thread behind the eyes; wrap to bend.
- Tie in two clumps of rust or olive deer hair as pincers, splayed outward at the bend.
- Add two strands of rubber legs alongside the pincers.
- Dub a thick, tapered rust or olive body from bend to behind the eyes.
- Add 3 pairs of rubber legs evenly along the body.
- Tie in a mottled hen back feather or marabou as the shell back, folding over the body.
- Build a head behind the eyes; figure-eight wrap; whip finish and cement.