Umpqua Russell's Pablo's Cripple Fly

Overview

Pablo's Cripple comes from Umpqua signature tyer Paul Russell, who relies on it for selective, pressured trout on the Yampa and Green rivers. This listing is the Baetis color, for Blue-Winged Olive hatches.

Not every mayfly escapes its shuck. Cripples that stay trapped in the film are easy meals, and trout feeding on a heavy hatch often target them. Russell designed this fly as a single dry that sits low like a crippled dun, and he also fishes it under the surface at any depth. He calls it his go-to when trout refuse everything else.

How to Fish It

• In the film: dead drift it to rising fish during a BWO hatch on 6X tippet and a long leader.
• Behind a visible dry: trail it 18 inches behind a parachute when the light makes it hard to track.
• Sunk: let it sink, or fish it as a dropper under an indicator, when fish are taking emergers below the surface.
• Timing: BWOs hatch in spring and fall, often on overcast days in early afternoon.

Choosing Color and Size

The Baetis color matches Blue-Winged Olive mayflies, and size 18 fits most BWO hatches. Go smaller for late-fall Baetis if the naturals run tiny.