Sipsey Claw Craw

Taking time this winter to revise some of my fly designs. Here’s gen. II of the Sipsey Claw Craw which is my version of the red swamp crawfish.

Recipe:

Bucktail: natural, brown or red
#2 main hook
#4 stinger hook
gold bead chain for eyes
50 lbs mono for the stinger hook
brown yarn for body
3mm rattle for the underbody

Red bucktail would work. The brown portion of the bucktail would have a red tint, thus more accurately matching the raw swamp crawfish’s color pattern.

How does that work for catfish? It seems where I fish crawdads only produce cats real late summer when used for bait but when I clean fish all year they have crawdads in there stomachs. I bet you would get some strange looks if you went to a fancy fly shop and asked for catfish flies.

Well, I didn’t see a fly fishing forum, so I posted it here. Yeah, that’s why I don’t go to fly shops. They don’t have what I’m looking for, so I make my own.

I don’t fish categorically. In other words I don’t fish any method or what you’re “supposed” to do. I experiment a lot, mixing things and trying new things all the time.

I tip all my flies with cut or live bait. The fly is nothing more than something to hold the rattle as I’m trolling, drifting or dragging bait across the river bottom. The rattle makes noise. My other flies have flash which adds a visual element. I’m using the fly to add other elements to the presentation, to engage the fish’s other senses.

I don’t use a rod and reel. I fish by handline only. Yes, handline with flies tipped with bait.

Hey Damon! Great post. I always look forward to reading yours. Always something different to try!

Thx, Paul. I enjoy learning new things. I figure fishing is one big ecological puzzle that always shifts and changes. Experimentation is the only way I’ve been able to catch anything.