Description

I learned about this fly when I was fly fishing in Japan. I caught many Iwanna in Japan on this fly. It works really well for the trout in the small streams I fish here in the Rockies. Many of these little streams have a lot of cranefly adults buzzing around on the surface during the summer months and the trout love to eat them up. This is one fly I always have in my box when fishing small streams and beaver ponds in the summer. It is a fun and easy fly to learn and takes no time at all to fill up your box.

Materials

Hook: Tiemco 206BL, Size 10 - 16

Thread: Ultra Thread 70 Denier color to match the body

Body: Superfine Dubbing - Olive, Tan, Cream, Brown or Grey

Wing: White hackle tips from a hen neck

Hackle: Natural or Light Dun CDC wrapped in the thorax

Step 1

Start by placing the hook in the vise and and wraping your thread down the hook shank towards the bend. Stop your thread a short distance down the curve on the hook.

Step 2

Now dub a body of Superfine dubbing and wrap it forward about two thirds of the way forward toward the hook eye. This can be a level body or slightly reverse tapered starting thick and becoming smaller the closer to the two thirds point of the hook shank.

Step 3

Next, select two white hen neck feathers that are approximately the same width as the hook gape. Trim them so they are about one hook length long and tie them in directly in front of the dubbed body. The natural curves of the feathers should be curving away from one another. This will make it easier to divide the wings.

Step 4

Separate the two hen feathers with your fingers and figure eight wrap your thread between them to help keep them divided.

Step 5

Select a CDC feather that has long fibers and tie it in by the tip directly behind the wings.

Step 6

Dub a thorax of Superfine dubbing. Figure eight the dubbing wraps between the wings and reverse the taper of thorax so you do not crowd the hook eye.

Step 7

Take one wrap of hackle behind the wings and then one or two turns in front of the wings. The hackle should be palmered through the thorax as seen in the picture.

Step 8

Trim off the excess CDC feather stem. Take a few thread wraps to build the head and whip finish. Then clip off your thread.

Step 9

Nice Job! You have just completed the CDC Crane Fly Adult.

Step 10

Front View.

Step 11

Front - top view.