Crackle Back

A pale,sparse olive or light cahill body topped by iridescent peacock herl (we use eye feather herl for more color and flash), wound with furnace saddle hackle. The dark center of the furnace hackle produces a dark segmented effect against the body.

This fly is listed as one of the 25 best flies in the Ozark Fly Fishers guide to flies. It was developed by the late Ed Story of Feather-Craft. 

Fishing the Crackle Back

Dress the fly with a floatant or water repellant like Loon Aquel or Loon Hydrostop. Fish it floating in the surface film. If it sinks, flick the rod tip to "skip" it under the surface. Add an extra false cast on the next cast to dry it out, and it will float again. The Crackle Back can also be weighted and fished under an indicator or with a weighted sinking line.

Recipe

Hook - Standard Dry Fly Hook, Size 10 (original) or 12

Crackle Back - Two Strands of Peacock herl (we recommend eye feather herl)

Thread - 6/0 prewaxed (Danville), black

Body - Light Cahill or Light Olive dubbing

Hackle - Furnace saddle hackle