Because @Hedgelj and @TinyTucky asked questions, here's a step by step of how I tie that almost weedless craw. My nickname for it is the Cheat Code Craw. I was tying one a few nights ago and snapped pics to show how it's put together.
Recipe
-junk hook shank, I use Mustad 37187's in size 6 (you'll chop this hook up don't use anything nice)
-medium weight mono for an anti-fouling loop (I use 15lb Trilene Big Game)
-heavy mono for the tie-in tag (this needs to be something stiff like Mason Hard Mono)
-Antennae: rubber legs
-Mouth: deer body hair
-Claws: rabbit strips (hot tip them if you want)
-Body: Arizona Diamond Dub (in a dubbing loop or a brush, I make brushes)
-Shellback: Flyskinz Craw/Shrimp Bodz
-Hook #2: Owner Rig'n Hook size 1
-Weight: small lead dumbbells
Start with the hook that you will chop up. Gauge how much of this shank you need to use by comparing the hook to the Owner Rig'n hook. This first portion will be tied as an extension off the Rig'n Hook, so err on the side of not using too much shank so everything fits properly.
Tie in the 15lb mono loop out over the hook eye. This loop will slide over the Rig'n Hook point and help keep the body in line with the rest of the fly. Then add your 2 strands of rubber legs for the antennae. These can be trimmed later, make them long for now. Tie in a stub of Hard Mono off the rear of the hook. Eventually you'll trim and melt the end of this to serve as the tie-in tag.
Next, tie in a small clump of deer body hair. Spin it around the hook over the hook eye. This should extend past the mono loop slightly.
Tie in your rabbit strips on each side of the deer hair. You can hot-tip the strips by pinching them in a vise and tying in a small hot spot color of rabbit if you want. It will fish fine without this step if you choose. I make the claw strip long enough so that the hide strip ends at the tips of the deer hair.
I tie in the brush of Diamond Dub next. This color for a brown craw is called "Ice blue brown."
Color the Flyskinz Bodz with Sharpies (or however you want). I do not use every segment that comes on the tab for the Bodz. Tie in the "head" section to extend back over the deer hair. I then layer the shellback pieces up the shank so they slightly overlap. I use the "head" and two shellback segments on this size fly for this section.
Wrap the brush back between the segments. Tie it off at your stopping point on the shank, whip finish, and cut your thread. I like to brush out the Diamond Dub a little and trim it along the edges of the shellback on the sides. I trim the top a little, also, between the segments so the shellback lays down better.
Take the cheap hook out of the vise and snip it as close as you can to your tie-off point.
Trim the mono tag to around 1/4", use a lighter to melt the tag into a little ball. This step is CRITICAL. The mono ball keeps the body from being pulled free of the hook by a fish, which will destroy the fly.
Put the Rig'n Hook in the vise. Tie in the dumbbells about 1/3 the way back on the belly of the hook. Whip finish and seal the thread with cement. Adding the weight here makes the fly fall at a more natural angle in the water than tying in all the weight near the hook eye.
Reattach your thread behind the hook eye. Slide the mono loop in the deer hair over the Rig'n Hook point and tie in the body behind the hook eye by the hard mono tag/ball. Be sure this is solidly anchored. Adding cement here is a good idea. The hard mono should be stiff enough to hold the body in place, the mono loop keeps the body in line, and on a strike the body should slide down exposing the hook point.
Tie the tail segment of the Bodz to the underside of the hook.
Add one more shellback Bodz piece over the body junction, and make a small dubbing loop of Diamond Dub to wrap and finish the fly. Wrap the dubbing to the hook eye, tie it off, and whip finish. Cut the thread.
Brush out the last few wraps of Diamond Dub and trim along the same lines as the rest of the body. Done.
Recipe
-junk hook shank, I use Mustad 37187's in size 6 (you'll chop this hook up don't use anything nice)
-medium weight mono for an anti-fouling loop (I use 15lb Trilene Big Game)
-heavy mono for the tie-in tag (this needs to be something stiff like Mason Hard Mono)
-Antennae: rubber legs
-Mouth: deer body hair
-Claws: rabbit strips (hot tip them if you want)
-Body: Arizona Diamond Dub (in a dubbing loop or a brush, I make brushes)
-Shellback: Flyskinz Craw/Shrimp Bodz
-Hook #2: Owner Rig'n Hook size 1
-Weight: small lead dumbbells
Start with the hook that you will chop up. Gauge how much of this shank you need to use by comparing the hook to the Owner Rig'n hook. This first portion will be tied as an extension off the Rig'n Hook, so err on the side of not using too much shank so everything fits properly.
Tie in the 15lb mono loop out over the hook eye. This loop will slide over the Rig'n Hook point and help keep the body in line with the rest of the fly. Then add your 2 strands of rubber legs for the antennae. These can be trimmed later, make them long for now. Tie in a stub of Hard Mono off the rear of the hook. Eventually you'll trim and melt the end of this to serve as the tie-in tag.
Next, tie in a small clump of deer body hair. Spin it around the hook over the hook eye. This should extend past the mono loop slightly.
Tie in your rabbit strips on each side of the deer hair. You can hot-tip the strips by pinching them in a vise and tying in a small hot spot color of rabbit if you want. It will fish fine without this step if you choose. I make the claw strip long enough so that the hide strip ends at the tips of the deer hair.
I tie in the brush of Diamond Dub next. This color for a brown craw is called "Ice blue brown."
Color the Flyskinz Bodz with Sharpies (or however you want). I do not use every segment that comes on the tab for the Bodz. Tie in the "head" section to extend back over the deer hair. I then layer the shellback pieces up the shank so they slightly overlap. I use the "head" and two shellback segments on this size fly for this section.
Wrap the brush back between the segments. Tie it off at your stopping point on the shank, whip finish, and cut your thread. I like to brush out the Diamond Dub a little and trim it along the edges of the shellback on the sides. I trim the top a little, also, between the segments so the shellback lays down better.
Take the cheap hook out of the vise and snip it as close as you can to your tie-off point.
Trim the mono tag to around 1/4", use a lighter to melt the tag into a little ball. This step is CRITICAL. The mono ball keeps the body from being pulled free of the hook by a fish, which will destroy the fly.
Put the Rig'n Hook in the vise. Tie in the dumbbells about 1/3 the way back on the belly of the hook. Whip finish and seal the thread with cement. Adding the weight here makes the fly fall at a more natural angle in the water than tying in all the weight near the hook eye.
Reattach your thread behind the hook eye. Slide the mono loop in the deer hair over the Rig'n Hook point and tie in the body behind the hook eye by the hard mono tag/ball. Be sure this is solidly anchored. Adding cement here is a good idea. The hard mono should be stiff enough to hold the body in place, the mono loop keeps the body in line, and on a strike the body should slide down exposing the hook point.
Tie the tail segment of the Bodz to the underside of the hook.
Add one more shellback Bodz piece over the body junction, and make a small dubbing loop of Diamond Dub to wrap and finish the fly. Wrap the dubbing to the hook eye, tie it off, and whip finish. Cut the thread.
Brush out the last few wraps of Diamond Dub and trim along the same lines as the rest of the body. Done.
Maybe if I tie them kinda “nymphy” like that I’ll actually drift them lol
