Bodkin / Patterns

Craven's Mole Fly

Dry Fly · Emerger · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook curved dry/emerger hook (Tiemco 2487), 16-24
  • Thread gray 8/0 (Uni)

Materials

  • Tail/Shuck Brown Zelon or biot (trailing shuck) (small bunch)
  • Body Brown beaver dubbing (thin noodle)
  • Wing 2 natural dun CDC feathers (2)
  • Wing post/indicator 3 strands white Fluoro Fiber (3)

How to tie it

  1. Start gray thread and tie in a sparse trailing shuck of brown Zelon at the bend.
  2. Dub a thin, tapered beaver-dubbing body forward over the back two-thirds of the shank.
  3. Tie in three strands of white Fluoro Fiber pointing forward over the eye as a high-vis post that also helps float the front.
  4. Stack two natural dun CDC feathers and tie them in as a forward-slanting wing (the 'advanced' wing) over the eye.
  5. The advanced CDC wing perches on the surface film while the dubbed body hangs below, imitating a crippled/emerging mayfly stuck in its shuck.
  6. Build a small thread head, whip finish, and trim the shuck to about half a shank length.

Tying videos

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