Written by Mike Gentry
 

A stillborne or cripple is an easy and favorite food of trout in lakes and also in streams.  Trout often pass up mature adults for these morsels.  The fly in this article is an "attractor" cripple, passing for a number of insects.

Thread:     Tan 8/0
Hook:        Tiemco 2487 size 12-14
Head (air bubble): 2mm or 3mm plastic clear or pearlescent bead
Tail/shuck: Grizzly soft fibers
Rib:           Tan tying thread
Abdomen: Fine tan or brown dubbing
Wing:         Natural Deer Hair
Hackle:      Grizzly


1. Run a bead up the hook to the eye, tie on the thread behind the bead and wind back to slightly past the start of the curve of the hook.

2. Tie in several strands of soft Grizzly hackle splines as a tail, about the length of the body.

3.  Tie in a two inch or so piece of brown thread at the tail tie in the point, leaving it hanging off the back of the hook.

4.  Dub a small, tapered body forward to about two-thirds of the distance from the back of the body to the back of the head.

5.  Reverse wind the thread rib to the front of the body and tie off.

6. Tie in a small, stacked clump of deer hair on top of the hook, starting right behind the back of the bead and winding tightly backward to the front of the body.  Before typing, position the hair clump so that the wing will be slightly longer than the body and will be angling forward on the top of the hook, resting on top of the bead.  When done tying the hair in, you will have created a short "cylinder" of tied-down hair over which you will wind the hackle.  Leave the butt ends of the hair sticking out the back on top of the body for now.

7. Select a Grizzly hackle with splines about as long as the hook gap, tie it in by the butt (shiny side forward) at the back of the cylinder and wind forward (probably 5-6 turns) to the hair wing tie-down hair over which you will wind the hackle.  Leave the butt ends of the hair sticking out the back on top of the body for now.

8. Gently lift the forward pointing hair wing upward (to get it away from the bead but not so forceful as to bend the wing into a more upright position) and wrap several turns of thread around the hook at the back of the bead, finishing with three half-hitches.  Trim the thread and finish with a small drop of head cement over the thread on the underneath of the fly.

9.  Clip off the hair butt ends just behind the hackle.
                          

Regular chapter meetings are held at the Old Market Pub 6959 SW Multnomah Blvd., Portland, OR 97223.  Food and beverage available.  Social get together starts at 6:30pm and speaker starts at 7:00pm unless otherwise noted in the newsletter or website.

October Meeting - Oct 12
November Meeting - Nov. 9
December Meeting - Dec 14