Featured Fly - Orange Belly River Crawler

Now that the river is finally fishing well, I am back into smallmouth mode. The river crawler is a simple fly that works awesome in low clear water. Just let it hit the bottom and strip it slowly, big smallmouth are lazy and do not want to work hard for their food, so give them something "Low and Slow".

Materials:

Hook: TMC 300 sz. 2 - 8

Eyes: Tungsten Predator Eyes 

Flash: Krystal Flash - Brown/Pearl 

Tail: Rabbit Zonker - Olive, Black, Natural Brown 

Body: EP Tarantula Hairy Legs - Orange 

Collar 1: UV Polar Chenille - Red

 Legs: Rubber Legs - Any Color 

Collar 2: Partridge - Natural Brown 

Head: Rabbit - Spun in a Loop

Step 1: Tie in the eyes, leaving a little room in front to make 1 or 2 wraps for the head.

Step 2: Wrap the thread back to the bend of the hook, tie in a few strands of flash.

Step 3:  Measure about 1 inch of rabbit for the tail, then punch the hook through the zonker.

Step 4: Tie in the tarantula brush.

Step 5: Wrap the brush forward, stopping right behind the eyes. 

Step 6: Tie in the chenille, the make two wraps behind the eyes. 

Step 7: Take one rubber leg and cut it in half, fold it in half again and tie in, making four legs on each side. 

Step 8: Bring the rabbit forward, and tie off behind the eyes. 

Step 9: Tie in the partridge feather.

Step 10: Wrap the partridge feather making the second collar.

Step 11: Make a rabbit fur loop, make one full wrap behind the eyes. 

Step 12: Make a figure 8 wrap over, and under the eyes, then one or two wraps in front of the eyes.

Finished Fly: