Pablo's Cripple

This fly is a fish catcher and really was a slayer on just about every river I fished last summer (including places like the Taylor C&R). On tough trico spinner falls the Pablo's trico cripple was incredibly effective, as were the Baetis version on both BWO's and PMD's. The fly was developed by Paul Russell, a long time guide and tyer on the Yampa River. You can fish this pattern as a dry, in the surface film or fished deep. Since Landon Mayer introduced the fly to a national audience in the newest issue of Fly Rod and Reel (I'm pretty sure...it could be American Angler),  I felt like I would not hold it as such a tight secret anymore. Below is my version of it (tied with different shades of dubbing and a different hook. To see the commercial tie, click the following links: Pablo's Trico Cripple, Pablo's Baetis Cripple.

Baetis Pablo's Cripple

Hook: Tiemco 101, 200R, 2487, 2488 (I prefer the 2487) sizes 16-24
Thread: UNI olive 8/0
Dubbing: light olive (for posterior and anterior of fly) of any brand as long as it is relatively fine
                light brown/tan (for middle of thorax)
Tailing shuck: Brown Z-lon or Antron or equivalent
Wing Case: White Z-lon or Antron or equivalent

1. Make a thread base to a little beyond the bend of the hook shank

2. Tie in a small clump of Brown Z-lon fibers at the back of the thread base with 2 pinch wraps

3. Wrap over the Z-lon to the mid point of the hook shank to build girth and then clip excess Z-lon

4. Tie in the white Z-lon like a spinner wing with a couple of X Wraps at the 60% point of the hook

5. Post the Z-lon with a couple of thread wraps

6. Tie in a couple inch piece of appropriate sized dun, dark dun, grizzly or black hackle, and post the hackle

7. Dub the posterior 30% of the hook shank with the olive or light olive dubbing with a taper.

8. Switch to the Brown/Light Brown/Tan dubbing for the next 30% of the hook shank (up to the post).

9. wrap the hackle like a parachute dry fly (3-5 revolutions), NOT putting an emphasis on keeping the wraps completely horizontal. Tie off the hackle and clip the excess.

10. Dub the next 20% of the hook shank in front of the post, and leave room for a tie off. The original pattern switches back to olive in front of the post, but I rely on the olive thread to show the final color change.

11. pull the parachute forward and tie it off behind the hook eye. This is where the Timeco 2487 down eye comes in handy.

12. whip finish, add some head cement to keep post secure, and trim the Z-lon to a hook eye or two in front of the hook eye, and trim the shuck to 1/2-2/3 of the hook shank in length and you have an effective Pablo's Cripple

Top View (the body taper can be made to look more pronounced on larger bugs)

Bottom View