To properly learn the techniques and flies presented in this website, work your way through the Basic Skills sections and then do the listed flies in the recommended order. Each fly builds on previously learned skills. Once you have done this, the flies listed for river use (Stonefly, Cranefly, Egg Pattern, and Baitfish) should be easily mastered.

Importance to Fly Fishing

Cranefly larvae are large (2-7cm long) and can give trout quite a mouth full. They inhabit a large variety of water types. Their colour ranges from a cream colour in the central British Columbia region to an olive colour in the Rockies.

This pattern needs to be kept simple. The larva looks like a huge maggot with distinct segmentation. In this pattern a segmented effect is created through the use of twisted yarn. The darker coloured front is the head. The tuft of marabou is there to represent the "gills" and give the fly some movement and "life."

Materials needed for this river fly.

For the lake flies previously described there was a set of materials that applied to all of them. The river flies will require a different list of materials that you will need to shop for. For this Cranefly pattern you will need to add:

• Cream coloured yarn (raid someone’s knitting supply!)
• Brown yarn (raid someone’s knitting supply!)
• White marabou (the same material used with Wooly Buggers, except white)
• White thread

In the Basic Skills sections you learned how to

• Smash down the barb
• Put the hook in the vice

Putting weight on this fly is an option. See discussion on weighting flies in the Stonefly section. For this demonstration, 1 layer of lead will be put on the hook.

Start the thread behind the lead wire. Once you have put thread wraps around the lead, make sure the thread is at the bend of the hook.

Next tie in the marabou. Only a small tuft, no longer than the gape of the hook, should extend out the back. There will be a lot of waste! Dampen the marabou with some water to control it. Position it over the hook as shown.

Tie the marabou into place, secure with several thread wraps, and snip off the excess.

Cut off a 12 cm piece of cream coloured yarn. Position it so the end butts up against the weight. Tie into place and secure with several wraps of thread.

Move the thread to 5 mm from the eye of the hook. Twist the yarn tightly in the same direction as already twisted.

Wrap the twisted yarn around the hook shank. Make sure the wraps are not too close together. This will emphasize the segmentation effect.

Wrap the yarn to 5 mm from the eye of the hook. Tie the yarn off, secure with several thread wraps, and trim off the excess.

Position a piece of brown yarn as shown. Tie into place.

Do not twist the brown yarn and give it a single wrap around the hook. Secure with several wraps of thread. Snip off the excess.

Build a thread head, secure with 5 half hitch knots, snip the thread, and add head cement.

If you live in an area where olive coloured cranefly exist (or plan to fish there) you may want to tie some crane fly larva imitations using olive coloured yarn.

Where to find fish in a river.

How to fish this fly in a river.