Bodkin / Patterns

Quigley Cripple

Dry Fly · Emerger · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

• Hook Curved/emerger hook, 14-20
• Thread Olive or tan 8/0

Materials

• Tail/Shuck Marabou or Z-Lon (trailing)
• Body Dubbing to match (tapered)
• Hackle Dun hackle (parachute, clipped on bottom)
• Wing Deer hair (upright)

How to tie it

1. Mount the curved hook, tie in a marabou or Z-Lon shuck trailing well past the bend.
2. Dub the abdomen up the curve to the 60% mark.
3. Stack a small bunch of deer hair and tie it in with tips forward over the eye, angled up. This forward-leaning wing is the cripple's signature posture.
4. Wrap dun hackle at the wing base, 3-4 turns.
5. Clip the hackle flat on the bottom so the rear half of the fly sinks while the wing and hackle float. Whip finish.

Substitutions

• Tail/Shuck instead of Marabou or Z-Lon: Z-Lon (amber) — Sparkly trailing shuck; Antron yarn — Softer, translucent
• Body instead of Dubbing to match: Olive Superfine — BWO cripple; Tan Superfine — PMD/caddis cripple
• Wing instead of Deer hair: Elk hair — More buoyant; Coastal deer hair — Very hollow, great float

Tying videos

• Quigley Cripple — Tim Flagler (Orvis)

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