Overview

The Flash Cripple from Montana Fly Company imitates a mayfly that is stuck in the surface film, half out of its shuck and unable to fly away. During every hatch some insects fail to emerge cleanly, and trout learn that these cripples are easy meals.

The fly sits low in the film rather than high on hackle points, and a touch of flash suggests the trapped air and shiny shuck of an emerging insect. When fish are rising steadily but refusing a standard dun, a low-riding cripple is often the change that gets them to eat.

How to Fish It

• Target steady risers: cast a few feet above a rising fish and let the fly drift down without drag on 5X or 6X tippet.
• Pair it with a visible dry: trail it 12 to 18 inches behind a larger, easy-to-see dry if you have trouble tracking it.
• Late in the hatch: cripples pile up as a hatch winds down, and trout often switch to them.
• Dress lightly: use a little floatant on the wing only so the body stays down in the film.

Choosing Color and Size

BWO matches blue-winged olive hatches in spring and fall, especially on cool, cloudy days. Grey covers a wide range of grey-bodied mayflies and works as a general cripple.

Use size 14 for larger mayflies and size 16 for smaller mayflies and larger blue-winged olives.