Wilson’s Trout Crack

[Phil Lilley]

Wilson’s Trout Crack

Jeremy Hunt

Recipe:

Hook: 2457 TMC size 14-18

Thread: .004 mono

Body: Antron (sand for the color)

Back: UTC V-rib on spool

Now I don’t know if you have really tied with monofilament thread before, but it sure doesn’t want to hold like other threads. This will slip if you don’t secure it right. You really go to wind over the tag and with a lot of thread turns at an angle. Once you get it secured you will want to tie in the vinyl rib. I tie it in at the front and wind the vinyl to the bend. Pass the hook point.

Once you are at the bend wind you’re thread back up to the eye(front). You’re ready to dub the fly.

This part can be tricky. You only want enough dubbing to hide the shank. Too much dubbing will make this fly look bulky. The key is a sparse body, not a big body.

Wind to the bend and you’re ready to start the ribbing with you’re mono.

Your thread should be at the bend. Fold the v-rib over and start segmenting the body until your up at the eye. Make sure you space them evenly.

Whip finish and glue the head.

Wilson’s Trout Crack

[Don]

The name Wilson makes me want to ask if this pattern is from John Wilson, the guide from Arkansas.

[Danoinark]

Your right Don, one and the same.

Dano

[trumpy]

On a recommendation from Jimmy T (from another board), I started tying these with GSP thread instead of mono. They come out a whole lot more durable. This is a great little fly. It even works well outside of the tail-race fisheries. It cought these two fish on the Current river two weekends ago...

And these were just the two that I landed. I had two other LDR's that were truly exceptional fish. I can't wait to try this pattern in Colorado this summer.

[Greg]

What is GSP thread trumpy? Do you do the rib with it as well? I'm not familiar with the term. Hopefully it is a little easier to work with than the mono. I have a devil of a time tying with mono as thread.

Greg

[Brian K. Shaffer]

GSP stands for Gel Spun Polyethelene. Great for deer hair work!

It is super strong stuff, and a little more pliable than mono as used in tying threads.

Check out Wapsi's GSP thread.. its my personal favorite

happy tying - Brian

[Jeremy Hunt]

GSP is great for egg patterns. As for deer hair work, it is not that good because of the strength that it will allow you to use. You will find yourself cutting thru the deer hair if you don't know how much tension to use when stakin or spinning the hair. And it is all due to the smaller sized thread. It will cut it like a knife. Whatever you do, make sure you don't use the smaller GSP in the denier. They make three sizes 50,100, and 200. The 200 works great for deer hair work. My favorite style of thread to use for deer hair work would be FLY MASTER PLUS+. JH

[beadhead]

Jeremy does a nice job on these.

Here link to a video of tying Trout Crack:

http://www.itinerantangler.com/casting/troutcrack.wmv

(cool background music too)

[Simsmarine]

I'm hesitant to say this for fear it will be taken the wrong way...but...I think originally John's TC differed in the fashion that the shellback is tied on. I was taught to lash the D-rib on top of the body rather than tie it in at the tail and fold over (like Jeremy shows here).

At first I thought there wasn't a significant difference in the end result, and not worth nit-picking about, but it kinda is.

When the shellback is lashed on top in the "intended"(as I know it) fashion the fibers from the body create a halo behind the fly after stroking it with a dubbing brush, or after catching a few fish with it. I think (FWIW) this really "makes" the fly, and you don't get that effect when you tie the shellback in the standard scud fashion. Just throwing that out there for consideration, nothing else.

[jOrOb]

I have tied them both ways. It doesn't affect how the fish take it as far as I can tell. They are easier to tie this way though. The original had the whip finish in the rear (at least that is how I was told to do it).

Thin design with vertical line at back is what you are shooting for. It is the profile that catches fish.

jOrOb