Crazy Charlie

Originator: Charles Smith
Tyer: Warren Prior

Description: A very successful fly for estuaries and gullies. Perhaps my all time favourite salt water fly, especially in the Durban harbour.

Step 1:

This fly can be tied in many variations, sizes and colours. Start by anchoring your cotton on the hook about a third of the way down the shaft.

Step 2:

Tie a set of either chain or dumbbell eyes onto the cotton. I sometimes add a little head cement at this point to anchor the eyes securely and make the fly more durable.

Step 3:

Wind you cotton down to the bend of the hook, tying in some chenille or other body material in the process.

Step 4:

Wind the cotton back up and past the eyes. Follow this by winding the chenille up to the eyes. I often take it over the eyes and use it for the basis of the head.

Step 5:

Tie and cut off the chenille. At this point I also like to flip the fly over since the wing is tied “under” the fly. This fly will actually swim upside down which makes it a favourite for my over sand banks where the hook can easily get caught in the sand.

Step 6:

Tie on a wing between the eye of the hook and the dumbbell eyes. The small amount of chenille we passed over the eyes will hold the wing in a good position.

Step 7:

Cut off the remainder of the wing, build up the head and tie off the fly. Again it's a good idea to use head cement at this point to lengthen the life of the fly.

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