Matt Zudweg's Chicken and Ice

As I sit at my vise this morning, it is early May and it is raining super hard... this gets me excited for big brown trout on big streamers! Anytime the water level is going up and getting dirty is a great time to throw some meat at our beloved predators, the brown trout. Over the past several years, the pattern below has become one of my favorite streamers for trout. I have also used it successfully for steelhead and bass when tied in other colors. As with most of my patterns, it's a simple and quick tie.

Step 1: Start with a Daiichi 2461 hook, size 1. I prefer white thread (uni 6/0 works well). Tie in some fibers from a white and black jailhouse marabou feather for the tail.

Step 2: Tie in a clump of Olive Ice Dub and advance the thread forward a bit.

Step 3: Tie in a clump of Copper Ice Dub and again advance the thread forward.

Step 4: Tie in another clump of Olive Ice Dub

Step 5: Prepare a Jailhouse Marabou feather by stripping off the bottom half as shown. Tie in the feather by the tip in front of your last Ice Dub clump. Dub some Olive Ice Dub onto the thread and wrap almost to the front of the hook.

Step 6: Palmer the marabou feather forward through the Ice Dub. It helps to moisten the feathers.

Step 7: Tie in a generous amount of copper flashabou on the top of the fly and finish.

Capt. Matt Zudweg guides for Feenstra Guide Service on Michigan's Muskegon River and also owns BoneYard Fly Gear. www.boneyardflygear.com

Senyo's Preyfish

Senyo's Preyfish

Step #1: Attach Uni 6/0 orange thread to a Gamagatsu B10S #2. Tie in a small clump of Froshed Crayfish Orange Australian Opossum, and two brown Ostrich herl over the top. 

Step #2: Tie in a sparse stack of 2.5 inch Morrum (Mustard) colored Arctic Fox to each side of the opossum, and a set of 3 inch long Florescent Orange barred over clear rubber legs.  

Step #3: Cut a 1/4 inch wide and 3 inches long piece of Orange 2mm sticky sided foam.

Cut the foam to create a small hour glass, and stick in a small strand of 4 black plastic bead chain. Fold the foam over the center 2 plastic beads and it will secure itself with the glue from the foam.

 Step #4: Attach the foam body(about 1/2 inch) over top of the Arctic Fox claws as seen above. Secure with several thread wraps and then dub the center with a sparse amount of Pheasant Tail Ice Dub.

Step #5: Fold the foam back and dub underneath the foam with Pheasant Tail Ice Dubbing. Fold the foam over the dubbing ball and secure with several thread wraps. Repeat this step again to form two segments.

Step #6: After the two segments are completed, fold the foam back and dub in another small amount of Pheasant Tail Ice Dubbing. 

Step #7: Create a thread head, whip finish, and add a drop of super glue. Trim all the extra tail foam out of the way of the eye.

Step #8: Slide on the completed pattern on to, and place the 20mm articulated shank from Flymen Fishing Company in your vice. Secure the open loop with several wraps of thread.

Step #9: Tie in a small clump of Frosted Crayfish Orange Australian Opossum, and 3 to 6  Brown/Orange/Gold rubber legs to each side of the opossum. 

Step #10: Apply a small amount of Lock Tite Gel to the inside of a large Brown Sculpin Helmut from Flymen Fishing company, and slide it over the rubber legs and opossum fur. Cut your tying thread and bring it to the front of the helmut. Note: Make sure all material is trimmed away from the loop to allow free motion of the hook.

Step #11: Tie in another sparse clump of Frosted Crayfish orange Australian Opossum. Fold back the Opossum and created a thread head, tie off, and add a drop of super glue.

Final: Take a Brown Sharpie permanent marker and color the body, top of the helmut, and the claws as seen above.

What The Preyfish looks like in the water!

I realize there are easier patterns out their to use for both big trout and smallmouth bass. The motion and action of this crayfish imitation is deadly. I love to tie patterns that take some time and give me the satifaction I crave while fishing. I hope you take the time to try it out!

Wiley's Shaggy Craw

Wiley's Shaggy Craw

Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 #1

Thread: GSP 100

Eye: Large dumbbell eye

Claws: Rabbit strip

Body: Rabbit strip and Senyo’s Shaggy dubbing

Legs: Sili Legs

Flash: Flashabou

Step 1: Place a Gamakatsu SC15 # 1 in the vise and wrap your thread to the bend of the hook and back to about ¼ of an inch from the hook eye.

Step 2: Tie in a large dumbbell eye ¼ of an inch from the hook eye. This should be tied in so that the hook rides up when fished.

Step 3: Bring your thread back to the bend of the hook and tie in a rabbit strip on both sides of the hook. The strips should be a little longer than the length of the hook shank.

Step 4: Next, tie two rubber legs on each side of the fly right were you tied in the rabbit strips. Also, tie in four to six strands of Flashabou on top of the fly in the same area.


Step 5: Now, tie in a mallard flank feather right were you tied in the rabbit and rubber legs. Wrap it forward two to three times and tie off. Cut excess.

Step 6: Tie in a rabbit strip on top of where you tied off the mallard flank. The rabbit should be tied in so that the hair tips are pointed towards the hook point.

Step 7: Now you will take two clumps of Shaggy dubbing and tie them one in front of each other, starting at where you tied in the rabbit strip and ending behind the dumbbell eye. Note, if the dubbing is too long on the sides don’t worry you can trim it after the fly is completed.

Step 8: Fold the rabbit strip over the dubbing and eye. Tie off the rabbit after the eye, whip finish, glue and cut thread and excess rabbit.


This fly has lots of movement and works well in any area that crawfish are present. Don’t be afraid to go a little wild with this pattern and do some different color combos. This fly can be tailored to fit any water type you fish from muddy water in the spring to the clear waters of the late summer. This fly will work well for any of the bass species as well as trout. I can’t tell you how many trout I have caught on craw fish patterns in deep pools. So next time you need to get down and hop crawdads on the bottom give this one a try, and hold on! Aaron Wiley is a smallmouth guide and can be found at Schultz Outfitters