The crane fly — 'daddy' to every UK and Irish angler — blown onto the water in late summer, all legs and helplessness. Six knotted pheasant-tail legs trailing behind a slim body bring savage takes on lakes and slow river flats alike, fished dry or twitched just under.
1. Thread base — Attach tan thread behind the eye and build a base to the bend.
2. Body — Dub a slim tan-brown body over the rear two-thirds of the shank.
3. Legs — Knot six pheasant tail fibers (two knots each). Tie in three per side at the 2/3 point, trailing rearward past the bend.
4. Wings — Tie in two cream or pale grizzly hackle tips, flat and splayed slightly rearward over the legs.
5. Hackle — Tie in a ginger hackle and wind 3–4 turns at the head. Tie off.
6. Head — Small head, whip finish, cement.
hook
thread
body
legs
wing
hackle
Tipulidae
