Quigley Cripple

Created by Bob Quigley

HOOK: TMC 100, sizes 12-18 THREAD: Gray TAIL: Tan or light gray Z-lon BODY: Gray or tan turkey biot THORAX: Gray rabbit WING: Tan deer hair HACKLE: Grizzly

Uses

"Cripple" patterns represent mayflies that are either just emerging or that got stuck in the shuck while emerging. In either case, the insect isn't going anywhere soon. Trout recognize this vulnerable condition and feed eagerly on cripples when they see them. When you're confronted with a blizzard hatch, where your fly is one small speck among hundreds or thousands of natural insects, a cripple pattern is a great way to induce trout to take your fake.

Variations

This dressing matches emerging and crippled Callibaetis mayflies, a common hatch on stillwaters. To match other mayfly cripples, vary the colors and hook size.

How to match other mayfly cripples

How to Fish

Dress the front half of the fly (only) with floatant and use the chuck-and-sit presentation on a lake or standard dry fly presentations on rivers.