Marabou

Tying Instructions: Callibaetis Cripple




	1. Attach the thread to the hook behind the eye and lay a thread foundation to the bend of the hook.
	2. Secure a strand of ribbing wire to the bottom of the shank with thread wraps along the bottom to the bend of the hook. The "bend of the hook" is where the thread will intersect with the base of the barb when hanging vertically.
	3. Select a marabou plume that has barbules that extend close to the tip of each barb. These plumes are generally longer than blood marabou but not as large as stem marabou used for Buggers. Often sold as "strung marabou".
	4. Clip some Marabou fibers that are full and measure the length of the tail to be about the length of the hook shank.
	5. Secure the tail material at the bend of the hook and secure the remaining material up the shank just past the midpoint of the shank. If the tail segment is still too long, you can break them off with your fingers. Do not cut them to trim.
	6. Create a herl rope by rotating the material in a clockwise rotation around the thread. Not too tight, you want those fibers to extend out.
	7. Wrap the Herl rope forward to the mid position of the shank. Take care in wrapping this herl that you do not trap the barbules under the herl. On this fly, I made about 4-5 wraps until I got just past the mid shank.
	8. Unwind the herl from the thread that is not needed and trim off this tag end. Secure the tag ends of the herl with some thread wraps.
	9. Wrap the ribbing with spirol wraps about 4-5 turns until you reach mid-shank. Move the wire as you wrap to dislodge barbules that might get caught by the wire. Secure the wire ribbing with thread wraps.
	10. Attach a small amount of Superfine to the thread by twisting the material, the fibers will interlock and tighten. Leave room for the wing and hackle, about 25% of the shank length.
	11. Dub a small ball for a thorax. Leave room for the winging material.
	12. Clip off a portion of Deer Hair, I am using bleached deer hair. Clean out the underfur with a comb and hold the hair by the tips to comb out the smaller hairs.
	13. Put the hair into a hair stacker to even the tips.
	14. Pull out the tips from the stacker and measure a length that is equal to the hook shank.
	15. Tie in the Deer hair wing just in front of the thorax with two tight thread wraps lifting the thread upwards to tighten. Hair tips should protrude in front of the eye. Lift the wing and place some thread wraps in front of it. (If you want a fluttering cripple, place some figure eights to split the hair at a 45 degree angle.)
	16. Trim the butts of the wing just above the thorax at an angle.
	17.
	18. Place a grizzly hackle by the butt and tie underneath the shank where you tied in the Elk Hair wing. The shiny side of the hackle should face the eye of the hook. I apply two wraps behind the wing and one wrap in front of the wing to secure the butt. Trim the butt so that it does not extend into the eye.
	19. Wrap the hackle 3 turns and tie in behind the eye. Secure the hackle with one wrap behind and one wrap in front behind the wing, then two wraps behind the eye in front of the wing.
	20. Trim off the tag end of the hackle.
	21. Apply a couple of half hitches and apply a whip finish.
	22. The finished Callibaetis Cripple.