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Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene and many other places. Many anglers suggest that the Yabby has been responsible for changing the feeding habits of trout in the lakes as the populations of Yabbies have increased. In fact in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene you seldom catch a trout with a full stomach when the contents doesn't include yabbies. Yabbies live around the margins of the lake with the preferred habitat being muddy banks and shallows. They live in holes that they borrow into the banks and shallows and move from hole to hole as the water levels change. Whilst they are sometimes active during daylight hours it is the dusk to dawn that they prefer. They move out of their holes to relocate, to forage for food and to find mates. All of these activities make them vulnerable to trout. Juvenile Yabbies are available from February and trout targets yabbies of all sizes.

Over the years I have experimented with various Yabby patterns and whilst some have looked great unfortunately they have all been “dogs” to fish or more correctly to cast. Generally rather than using them I have reverted to fishing a weighted woolly bugger instead. Well all that has now changed and I now have a selection of four yabby patterns to choose from. They all cast and fish well.

This is my latest addition to the genre and it's more of a polaroiding fly than a stripping fly. I like to use it to ambush sighted fish by casting well in front of patrolling fish and generally a little closer to shore and then let the fly sink and lie doggo. More often than not attentive fish will see it but if it looks like the fish is going to pass the fly by unnoticed then the smallest twitch generally gets their attention. Takes off the bottom have to be watched carefully and it's best to not strike until you see a flash of white from the fishes mouth as they pick up the fly. Strike with a short strip of the fly so that if the fish doesn't actually have the fly it looks to the fish that the yabby is trying to escape.

Materials

Process

A	The hook I have used here is a Tiemco 3761 which is formed of relatively heavy wire which creates a good 'keel' effect on the finished fly so that it will swim the right way up. Understanding hooks Wind the thread in touching turns half way down the bend of the hook. If you don't add any weight you may find that the fly hangs in the meniscus which of course isn't a good look for a sinking fly. Alternatively if you add too much weight the fly sinks like a brick which doesn't look very natural and of course it may be more prone to getting snagged. On a size #8 hook I like to add just 7 wraps of 0.10 mm lead wire to ensure it breaks the meniscus and sinks only at a fairly natural rate. Once you have tied the lead wire in continue winding to the bend of the hook.

B	Trim a bunch of marabou of the side of a marabou quill. Keeping in mind that this bunch will be split into two claws I like to tie in a quantity about the same that I would for a thicker than average woolly bugger tail. Woolly bugger type tails Tie the marabou down along the top of the hook shank to the bend of the hook. As you do that tie ina length of pink floss. I keep my floss on a bobbin holder which definitely makes it easier to handle. The marabou should now look something like a woolly bugger tail about as long as the hook. Take the thread forward toward the eye of the hook.

C	You will find the next step easier if you whip finish the thread a bit back from the eye of the hook and trim it away as a temporary measure. Separate the marabou tail into to 2 halves, each representing a claw. Wet each of the claws down a bit in order to keep them under control. Using the floss lock the 2 claws in position using a number of figure of eight wraps. If done properly this should stop the claws from coming completely together when the fly is fished. Take a couple of wraps of the floss around the fist 5% of the hook shank to complete the hot spot. Tie the black thread back in locking the floss in place at the same time. Trim away the floss.

D	Tie a length of fine silver wire in along the top of the hook shank stopping at the 5% position so that the hot spot is behind the wire.

E	Select 3 or 4 peacock herl and tie them in along the top of the hook shank stopping at the 5% position so that the hot spot is behind the peacock herl.

F	Load the thread with dubbing. Experience will tell you how much thread you will need to load with dubbing but its generally only around 6cm. This process is just one additional step in the well known process of roping peacock herl. Roping peacock herl

G	Form the herl and the dubbed thread into a rope. Wind the herl and dubbing rope forward to the 95% position forming a thick cigar shaped body. Tie the rope off at the 95% position and trim away the excess.

H	Whilst holding it in place pick up the silver wire with your other hand and take 5 or 6 tight evenly spaced wraps of the silver wire to lock the peacock herl into place and to form body segments on the yabby. Body segments on flies The last wrap of wire should lock the herl into place just behind the eye of the hook. Worry off the excess wire. Using a bit of Velcro fuzzel out some of the seals fur dubbing to represent the yabby legs.

I	Select a front hackle that has barbels that are around 1.5 times as long as the gape of the hook. Tie that hackle in by the tip. Woolly bugger hackles

J	Trim the tip of where the hackle is tied in also with a blade. Take just 2 or 3 full turns of the hackle just behind the eye of the hook and secure it in place with a few wraps of thread. Trim away the excess hackle with a blade.

K	Stroke the hackle tips back along the fly and then finish securing the hackle in that position with additional wraps of thread. Build up a neat thread head. Whip finish and varnish the head of the fly.

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