mini jig streamers – currentseams.com

I guided Anthony last Friday and we had the blessing of a glorious Indian summer day. Sunshine, good flows, warm air, and…leaves. Organic matter in the water was only an occasional nuisance, but I expect that it will get exponentially worse in the next couple weeks, especially if we have a breezy day. (This is why I typically end my traditional wet fly fishing around mid-October.)

But back to our day. We swung the hell out of a team of three wet flies, but the locals just weren’t having it. We hit two marks below the PTMA (many thanks to the angler who shared water with us!), then headed below Collinsville. Same story in two other marks. Up to this point, we’d had a few bumps, very likely from small fish, and no real eats. There were a few tiny BWOs in the air, some caddis, and then a smattering of Isos, but this was a day where the fishing was great and the catching stunk. Anthony deserved far better, as he was making multiple dozens of fish-worthy casts, mends, and presentations.

I’d finally had enough. I knew there were fish in front of us, and if we couldn’t get them to come up to a wet, let’s try to get them deep. I clipped the Iso fly off point, and added a black and silver mini jig streamer. *Voila*! We also banged up a decent smallmouth. Way to hang in there, Anthony, and we’ll get ’em next time.

By now, most of you know me as an impressionist fly tier. That is, I’m not trying to carbon copy the bait. I’m trying to capture size, color, and profile. Most of all, I’m trying to create something that looks like it’s alive and like something good to eat. And that’s the Crayfish Jig Streamer in a nutshell. So many crayfish patterns go to great lengths to reach for the prize of realism. It’s all so unnecessary (see: Woolly Bugger makes a great crayfish fly). Our local waters are populated with the invasive species rusty crayfish. I colored this pattern likewise. The smallmouth approve. And oh, by the way, there are crayfish in the Farmington, too. Downsize the bead, and you’re good to go jigging for tailwater trout!

Here’s the article on Culton’s Crayfish Jig Streamer that appeared in On The Water Magazine.