Tying The Crackleback - Dressed Irons

[@davidhughes2622]

Hi from Rolla Missouri 🎣🤠. I'm just getting the new (old) house fixed -up to be in from independence mo. It has a walk-out basement with large windows and sliding door. Lots of light and the house back's up to the Forest. Lots of wildlife and birds. This'll be where I'm going to tye on my roll top. I really appreciate the many videos and have learned a lot from you. Thanks again good health for you and your's Dave Hughes 🎣🤠. Any direction from my house in ten minutes I can be fishing. This is a great 👍 place!!!

[@DressedIrons]

David, thank you for the compliment and comment. I am glad the videos are helpful. Sounds like a nice place to live. Let me know if there are any videos you would like to see that might help. Good luck with the house. - Ian Anderson

[@huntingmissouri5420]

Thats my go to fly at Bennett Sping MO, great fly, fun to fish!

[@DressedIrons]

I am glad you like the video. I am sorry I did not respond sooner. I know a number of people who love the the Crackleback for Bennett Springs. I am not getting any email notices when people leave comments and it has taken me a while to figure this out and therefore keep track of comments through KZbin. - Ian Anderson

[@mikelundrigan2285]

I suggest making a good thread body base, coating it with a thin amount of SH HANs or similar just prior to winding on your turkey, in effect “ gluing” it to the shank…will last much longer! A counter wrap of ribbing will also strengthen it! Tight lines!

[@DressedIrons]

Both of those are good suggestions for make the fly more durable. Thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas - Ian Anderson

[@thomasclements2905]

Just a quick note. Ed Story would use olive thread on size 14 and red on sizes 12 and 16 to tell at a glance what size fly he was tying on. Ed would keep his flies in a Sucrets Lozenges tin. My son and I tye the Cracklebacks for Feather-Craft, the fly shop Ed started in 1955 here in St. Louis, Mo.

[@DressedIrons]

Interesting... My wife's Grandfather had a number of small dry flies he carried in a Sucrets box! I was not aware of the variations that Ed put on his so he could tell them apart. Makes great sense. I love this fly not only because it is so productive but it is a lot of fun to tie. Simple, not a lot of materials and handsome to boot! If you are tying for Feather Craft then you must tie a few thousand of these every year. How did I do in the video? - Ian Anderson

[@thomasclements2905]

@@DressedIrons Great video. Ed switched to the turkey round when the dubbing that he was using was no longer being made. Tying in the round with the dull side out will give you a "fuzzy" body as it turns over when you wrap it around the shank of the hook. Tying the hackle in with the lighter side facing you puts that side of it toward the eye of the hook, that way it is easier to see the fly on the other side of the stream. Sorry if that was too much info. As far as numbers, I try not to think about it, although I'm about to hit 8,000 on those darn Squirmy Worms and I can't bring myself to fish one. Keep the videos coming, I like your style.

[@DressedIrons]

@@thomasclements2905 Glad you like the videos! I can understand getting "burned out" on the Squirmy Wormy. Years ago, in collage, I worked at Pizza Hut. After a few month I couldn't eat Pizza anymore. It was years before it was appealing again. Be Well, Ian Anderson

[@lawrencenusser7856]

You mentioned that the body could be dubbing. Since the fly can be fished as a dry and as a wet, I'm puzzled about the kind of dubbing that would work best. You mentioned superfine as one possibility, and that would be great for small flies, but is that a dry fly dubbing or does it matter?

[@DressedIrons]

Larry, The Crackleback can be fished wet or dry even though the original was tied as a dry fly. Add a little floatant to help it stay on the surface or some sinkant (a heavier hook or even a bead head) to help it sink. A friend of mine swears by a #14 bead head Crackleback on the Cumberland River. The turkey round used in the original gives the fly a "smoother" body and a superfine dubbing (a synthetic by the way) also provides a "smooth" body. Dubbing such as Life Cycle, SLF, Sow-Sud, etc... would be a little "buggier". Not that you could not use them. Natural dubbings such as beaver, muskrat, and rabbit could work if they were put on sparely. Their major drawback for a dry fly Crackleback is they absorb water. A good floatant can help with that but they will still absorb more water than a synthetic subbing and it is more difficult to shake off the water or extract it with some sort of Silicant/Dry Shake. In the long run it is more personal preference because any fly, even foam flies, will start to collect dirt, pollen, fish slime, etc... as they are used and will at some point start to sit lower in the water if not under the water. At that point the only thing to fix them is completely drying the fly. That is why you take a half dozen or so of the pattern you want to fish so when it needs to dry you stick it in the fly patch and tie on a fresh fly. - Hope this helps. - Ian Anderson

[@lawrencenusser7856]

@@DressedIrons Thanks. I really like the looks of the turkey rounds lots of good colors, but aside from Feather-Craft, many of my sources don't carry them. I also liked the look that superfine dubbing gives, good colors are available, but I wasn't sure how it would work. I think I'll go for broke and buy up some turkey rounds. -- Larry

[@DressedIrons]

Larry, you are most welcome. I prefer the Turkey Rounds also. I have never looked for them anywhere else other than Feather Craft. You can also dye them if you are interested in a color not readily available. Be Well, Ian Anderson

[@lets_fish_already_9345]

Are floss bodies ok for cracklebacks?

[@DressedIrons]

Yes, you certainly can tie these with a floss body. A chenille body is also something you could do. If it fishes well and you catch fish with it it is all good! - Ian Anderson

[@TERRYBIGGENDEN]

Rather like the Scandinavian Supa Pupa. I wonder if that was inspired by this one? :-)

[@DressedIrons]

Terry, I have not heard of the Scandinavian Supa Pupa and did not find any "flies" when I searched for it either. If you know of a site that has the fly on it I would like to check it out. I know the Crackleback has been around since the mid-50's (? - 95% sure my memory is correct). The bead head version is also very productive. - Ian Anderson

[@TERRYBIGGENDEN]

@@DressedIrons Hi. Thanks for he reply. I'm posting a coupe of clips of the Supa Pupa. It is different of course-it just reminded me of your crackle back at first. I think the Supa Pupa is mostly popular in Scandinavia-it's supposed to be a caddis larva (?). Anyway, similar ideas are bound to tuen up all over the world with fly patterns. :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoLTqXeCndBjjZo kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHTLfYZpnr-CadE

[@DressedIrons]

Terry, thanks for the links. I have seen the SuperPupa before and you are write (as far I know) it did originate in Scandinavia. It is interesting to see the various ways different people tie such a simple fly. - Ian Anderson