Messing at the vice. Quick craw step by step.

[BilletHead]

       Let's see if this makes sense,

     Materials: fly jig hook with bead to match. This a #12 J. Stockard hook. I used tungsten but this is just a quick guidance tie so adjust for what you want to use. For dubbing I really like Wapsi crawdub. Pine squirrel strips and again do the color you like. I am using 6/0 thread red in this case. 

     Bead on hook start thread and work to the back of hook.

   Approximately above where the barb of the hook wrap a little dubbing ball. This will allow the pine squirrel pincers to open up. 

   Prep a couple sections of your squirrel strips. An inch or so on this size hook. Again and do what you like for length. Strip off about a sixteenth of the hair off the strip and tie just in front of the dubbing ball. Wrap thread back tight against the ball and claws will begin to splay out. 

     Take your thread and create a dubbing loop long enough to make a five-inch place to put dubbing. You might not need all of this but better to have plenty.  Take pinches of the dubbing and add to the loop spreading it down the thread. I wax my loop thread for this step. 

   Now spin it up, its going to look like crap but we take a dubbing brush I use Velcro on a popsicle or tongue depressor to brush all the trapped fibers. No this is not uniform and pretty but trust me it will turn out just fine. 

      Wrap that messy twisted loop of fibers forward to the bead as you go each turn sweep the fibers to one side of the thread as you wrap forward. Ugly, isn't it? Whip finish behind the bead.

   Take your dubbing brush and fluff that mess up, down, all around frontwards, backwards and try to get the trapped fibers free. Don't sweat all those loose disconnecting fibers in the velcro. Pull them out and retain for the next one you make. 

   Now with brush or fingers sweep what you have backwards toward the tail. Looking better by now don't you think? 

     Pretty easy. Two materials are all you need. Add flash and feelers if you wish or crystal flash for your feelers . Drop this in the water and fish it. Long strips, short strips, hop it on the bottom. 

 

[tjm]

1 hour ago, BilletHead said:

This a #12 J. Stockard hook

that surprised me I would have guessed #8 or larger.

[BilletHead]

16 minutes ago, tjm said:

that surprised me I would have guessed #8 or larger.

   J. Stockard jig sizing on their brand of hooks seem to be off some. I don't have another brand of 12 hook to compare with but here is a #14 fulling mill and a dime for comparison.

[tjm]

3 hours ago, BilletHead said:

sizing on their brand

Well that explains a lot, there never has been hook size standard except within a brand; but most are of somewhat similar size for a given number, although I think most modern hooks are much larger in the smaller dry fly sizes than they were 50 years ago. But then  I have lot of #12 1/80oz jigs (unknown make) that I bought years ago that are just about the size of my #14 Mustad  94800.  Kinda crazy. I've wondered many time how those "Hackle Gauges" are sized, what brand and model hook they fit?

[Nick Adams]

How would you fish this? Floating line, add shot? Sink tip?

[BilletHead]

2 hours ago, Nick Adams said:

How would you fish this? Floating line, add shot? Sink tip?

          Floating line in less than five feet of still water if you want to hop it on the bottom watch the floating like an indicator. Stripping in still water too shallow. Sinking line in moving stuff. That is just me. No weight needed. 

[fishinwrench]

8 hours ago, tjm said:

that surprised me I would have guessed #8 or larger.

If you're bass fishing, a #1 or #2 hook usually results in a fish hooking itself....at least partially....which makes strike detection alot easier on a crawdad fly.  

Of course that's with standard hooks and dumbbell eyes.   Not sure about using jigheads.

[BilletHead]

7 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

If you're bass fishing, a #1 or #2 hook usually results in a fish hooking itself....at least partially....which makes strike detection alot easier on a crawdad fly.  

Of course that's with standard hooks and dumbbell eyes.   Not sure about using jigheads.

          I stayed fairly small Glen. Something easy to throw on a lighter fly line and can catch some big bluegill and still some bigger fish. 

[Foghorn]

Good looking fly ,Marty. Several years ago I got the materials and pattern sheet from Feather-Craft to tie "Bill's Crayfish" fly. After several attempts, I  had a pretty good resemblance of his fly. I headed to Montauk thinking this might be another hot fly for some of the browns that I knew were in the campground area. I think I scared every fish out of the first two holes I fished. 

[Flysmallie]

I tried for years to find a craw pattern that I really liked that wasn’t a difficult tie. I’d rather not be worried about getting something back that took a long time to tie. I’d rather have a cheap easy fly that I’m not worried about busting off. 
 

My biggest issue was the pinchers. So I eliminated them and came up with this. Not sure if the fish think it’s a craw but they do eat it. 
 

Hook, barbell eyes, rubber legs for feelers, marabou belly and a little deer hair over the top.