By Jerry Kerstetter

The watercress and elodea found in limestone streams contain various items. Freshwater shrimp will be found residing in both of these aquatic plants. Fly anglers commonly refer to them as scuds. Remove the above plants from the water and shake them and these scuds can be seen swimming through the water looking for a new hiding place. Their abdomen and tail movement propel them through the water. Their coloration is mainly brownish with some olive mixed in. They are small, measuring them regarding hook sizes 18 thru 20. I fished with Charley Fox on his property numerous times back in the mid 70s. He was always casting a scud in the Letort. At that time I had heard of scuds, but did not know much about them. I usually fished a cressbug dead drift. Charley would cast the scud to the far and near side bank areas and through channels in the elodea beds. Shortly after his scud hit the water he would raise and lower the tip. He was simulating a swimming scud. It was an effective technique, as he always caught some of those beautiful Letort wild brown trout. Since that time I have fished scuds using that technique on other limestone streams. Swimming scuds should be tied on straight shank hooks. The below pattern incorporates some soft fibers as it gives more movement. These soft fibers are on the bottom of grizzly marabou stems and does add some more movement. This material is used as a tail and then used in a spinning loop. This fly can also be fished with just a dead drift, so you can skip tying on the curved scud hook.

Material List

Hook: 3906B or any other nymph hook #18-20

Tail: Tan grizzly marabou fibers, found on the bottom of the stem

Flash: small diameter tinsel brown, olive, or pearl, Jo-Ann fabrics has Sulky in various colors

Abdomen: Brown or tan turkey biot Legs: Same fibers as tail using a spinning loop

Thread: Tan 8/0

Steps

1. Place hook in vice and attach thread and wind to hook bend

2. Tie on grizzly marabou at bend and wind thread back to bend

3. Tie on tinsel and then tie on turkey biot by its tip, and wrap thread to hook eye

4. Wrap turkey biot with touching turns to hook eye, cut off excess

5. Wrap tinsel as a rib to hook eye, cut off excess

6. Move thread back to 1/4 position from the eye

7. Make thread loop, cut off two clumps of the fluffy grizzly marabou and insert into the thread loop and twist tightly

8. Pick out fibers on the thread loop, wrap to the hook eye, tie off and cut off excess, whip finish

9. Pick out fibers again