Based off of the Psychedelic Critter, Borski Redfish Slider and Butterfly...hmmm maybe I should call it the Heinz 57 of critters
I wanted something with the flash of the critter, but really buggy and silent on entry, so I came up with the Stealth Critter. The way to silence the entry was to do away with lead eyes, but I still need it to sink, using lead wire to accomplish that task. I made it buggier with a little saddle hackle.
Materials Used
Hook: Mustad 34007 size 2.
Thread: Olive Ultra Thread 140
Tail: Crystal Flash Rainbow Pearl, select black craft fur and black saddle hackle
Legs:Sili Legs barred Yellow/Gold/Black
Body: Estaz Grande Opalescent Black
Weight: .020 Lead wire
Weed Guard: 20-pound hard mason mono
Tying:
Wrap hook shank with thread to just past the barb
Tie in a piece of lead wire doubled and wrap thread over the wire towards the eye, stopping just past half way to the hook eye. Then double back over and wrap back to the hook barb.
Tie in flash twice the length of the hook on top of the lead wire.
Now tie in the craft fur tail, length is twice the hook. Make sure to set the craft fur around the hook shank, kind of sink it around the hook shank prior to wrapping with thread.
Now tie in a Sili leg on top of the craft fur, legs should be evenly spaced on both sides of the fly, repeat this process so you have four legs total. I use one Sili leag and halve it, that will give you two pieces for this step.
Tie in black saddle hackle on top of where you wrapped the Sili legs and palmer forward, palmering over each wrap so it will lay back and tie off. If hackle wants to stand up, pull it back and wrap some thread over the hackle to get it to lay towards the back. I believe they call this the Key West style of palmering.
Tie in the Estaz Grande, palmer towards the hook eye and stop just past the lead wire and tie off.
Tie in the weed guard
Wrap thread forward and whip finish and head cement.
That is it....fly will land like a whisper, slowly sink and drive redfish mad, well that's the plan, hopefully I will get to try them out tomorrow.
Enjoy...as always if you tie one of my patterns up and catch a fish on it, I would love to see a picture of it.