El Crawcito

Cheech - April, 2015

"Hey... You want to borrow this stuff for a while?" Little did Bryan Gregson know that he was rekindling some very bassy spirits that lived deep within my soul. I gladly accepted the Shimano Curado (the green one... the GOOD one) and 6'6" baitcasting rod as items that would be on loan for the next 5 years. See, when I first really started getting into fishing I had one of those donut shaped float tubes that would take me where the bass lived. I was in heaven. Casting a bright shiny spinnerbait along the reeds while getting eaten by mosquitoes was my preferred way to spend a day. After Gregson lent me the baitcaster nearly 8 years after I sold all of my conventional gear, it was a 100% relapse even though I developed into a somewhat decent fly tyer and fisher... Something about sticking a pig largemouth on a Texas rigged lizard through 3 feet of pure salad made me forget about fishing mayfly hatches on the river. Ever since that time I have spent roughly 50% of my time pursuing Bassish creatures with the heathen gear. I loved it then, and I love it now (one of these times you should see the jigs that I make... )

I have preached this before, but fishing with conventional gear made me a better fisherman and a much better fly tyer. I learned stuff about how fish eat and how to present flies to bass that I would never have dared with a fly. I also learned that there are things that you can do with a lure that are just plain impossible with a fly. We can get close... but flies have limits. Limits in sight, I wanted to create a good craw imitation that would ride similar to a weeldess jig with a plastic trailer (some might call it a jig n' pig, but there is no pork on this rig). The keys to a good jig are that they fall into place properly (varied weight for different circumstances) and that when they sit still, the legs flare out, and the claws are up in a defensive position. Easy right?? Not really. It took many prototypes to finally dial this to where it is, and it will probably go through several more alterations. What I came up with though is a pretty meaty little bug that rides just how I imagined it should. It also has a dual weighting system that can be tinkered with to tie flies all the way from a slow falling finesse craw to a fast falling mill stone. It can also be modified in all types of weedless variations.

The El Sculpito has been one of our best fly patterns, so I stole its chassis and built a more fancy bug on it. I wanted a bug that had a lot of rabbit, a lot of silicon legs, and a lot of attitude. Check out the video to see that this bug isn't necessarily a difficult bug to tie, and you will likely tie several in a row, so grab your favorite cold beverage, crank up some good tunes, and glue your butt to your tying station.

~ Cheech

Material List
  • Hook: Fulling Mill 36040 Streamer Stripper - 1/0
  • Thread: Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0 - Fl. Orange
  • Barbell Eyes: Lead Barbell Eyes - Plated (Shiny) - Large (3/16" / 5 mm)
  • Beads: Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Black Nickel - 5/32" (3.8mm)
  • Wire: Senyo Intruder Trailer Hook Wire - Black - Regular
  • Antennae: Buggy Nymph Legs - Rootbeer
  • Antennae: Senyo's Barred Predator Wrap - Barred UV
  • Claws: Black Barred Rabbit Strips - Crawfish Orange
  • Eyes: Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes - Black
  • Body: Palmer Chenille - Rootbeer - Medium
  • Body: Arizona Simi Seal - Crawdad
  • Legs: Loco Legs - Pumpkin
Materials & Alternate Materials Listed Below
Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Classic Colors
Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Classic Colors

Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Classic Colors

$7.80
Palmer Chenille
Palmer Chenille
Palmer Chenille
Palmer Chenille
Palmer Chenille
Palmer Chenille
Palmer Chenille
Palmer Chenille
Palmer Chenille

Palmer Chenille

$3.99
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0

Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread - 6/0

$3.50
Senyo Intruder Trailer Hook Wire
Senyo Intruder Trailer Hook Wire

Senyo Intruder Trailer Hook Wire

$6.99
Fulling Mill 36040 Streamer Stripper
Fulling Mill 36040 Streamer Stripper

Fulling Mill 36040 Streamer Stripper

$8.25
Lead Barbell Eyes
Lead Barbell Eyes
Lead Barbell Eyes
Lead Barbell Eyes

Lead Barbell Eyes

$3.49
Buggy Nymph Legs
Buggy Nymph Legs
Buggy Nymph Legs
Buggy Nymph Legs
Buggy Nymph Legs
Buggy Nymph Legs
Buggy Nymph Legs
Buggy Nymph Legs
Buggy Nymph Legs

Buggy Nymph Legs

$4.50
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal
MFC - Arizona Simi Seal

MFC - Arizona Simi Seal

$3.00
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips
Black Barred Rabbit Strips

Black Barred Rabbit Strips

$5.99
Senyo's Barred Predator Wrap
Senyo's Barred Predator Wrap
Senyo's Barred Predator Wrap
Senyo's Barred Predator Wrap
Senyo's Barred Predator Wrap

Senyo's Barred Predator Wrap

$7.50
Loco Legs
Loco Legs

Loco Legs

$4.50
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes
Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes

Epoxy Mono Crab or Shrimp Eyes

$5.99
Brown Barred Rabbit Strips
Brown Barred Rabbit Strips
Brown Barred Rabbit Strips
Brown Barred Rabbit Strips
Brown Barred Rabbit Strips
Brown Barred Rabbit Strips
Brown Barred Rabbit Strips

Brown Barred Rabbit Strips

$5.99