Tying the Galloup Cripple with Kelly Galloup

You might have been fishing a hatch or spinner fall where trout are rising everywhere, but refuse your fly over and over again. These fish are usually feeding selectively on crippled adults. Anybody who has read Kelly’s book Cripples and Spinners knows how important this stage is, and this pattern has proven itself time and time again on rivers and spring creeks across the country. What makes this pattern so different than others is that the hook shank is bent in such a way as to imitate a crippled natural, and the wing is pulled over so it lays flat on the water.

Galloup Cripple Recipe

Thead: Danville 6/0 or Roman Moser Powersilk 10/0
Hackle: Olive Grizzly

[indianaflyguy]

Kelly, you offer the most valuable assets in fly fishing. You don't just tie the fly (which can be great). You teach about what you are looking for in the pattern, potential other materials, what you don't want in the materials and your opinion on how to fish it. pretty much the kitchen sink every time.

[mikehulsey]

Finally was able to pick up the book, and I’m absolutely glad I did. Thanks for the contribution to our sport, this completely changed how my boxes will be arranged from now in. My wife will likely hate us both for it lol. Thanks Kelly!

[bryanparrish]

Perfect timing for the dubbing with me, trying my first emerging fly

[thomasfischer]

Cripples and Spinners is hands down the best book I've read on fly fishing/fly tying. Great resource. Thanks

[rdo]

Your videos are awesome! As a person new to fly tying I love all of the detail you go into when doing these videos. Too many tyers skip steps and assume people already know techniques that newbies like me do not know. Thanks for taking the extra time!

[thetraveljack]

Kelly man you’re killing it lately with these videos! Keep it up

[andyt]

There are so many "minute" tying videos out there- for the most part I enjoy those as much as the next guy. But listening to you talk through not only the how but why the fly is designed the way it is creates a master class for those of us just getting started. I can't wait to throw some of these in the box!

[kennethsanders]

I dropped mine in a glass of water Kelly (Alberta, Canada)

[arthurskim]

Kelly, many great instructional videos, this one is perhaps your finest. Thanks for posting. BRAVO ZULU

[danielbriley]

I am preaching to the choir here, but I have tied these style spinner/cripples, and they work amazingly well. Even on selective fish on the Henry's Fork in Harriman Ranch, on Silver Creek in Idaho, fish took this fly selectively over other spinner or cripple patterns. I would fish a double fly setup with this and a standard two winged spinner, and they took the sidewinder cripple 2X more than the two winged spinner. It does take some practice to tie these, bending the hook is tricky, but after a few tries you get it down easy enough. I put a few parachute post wraps around the wing when I tie it in, it helps it keep the wing together and coming to a point at the body of the fly. I am busy tying up a bunch more of these to take to Henry's Fork this June.

[thomasarmstrong]

This is a really cool idea, bend in the hook, wing on the side. Can't wait to see how it works during the hatch on the Brule in WI. I want to thank you Kelly for the tips you add while producing these videos, I just started tying my own flies this year and already like some of mine more than what I can buy at the local shops. I haven't been able to fish them yet so next season will tell if I'm getting the patterns right.

[ipod]

Fantastic pattern. The wing looks phenomenal

[barneyewing]

Don't kid yourself, it's a great book. You know me, I always like to fish classic wet flies with the Leisenring lift, killer method on the . This is a great video, giving up all the secrets. Great advice on tails, the length is the key. Just look at the Darbee's or Art Flick's flies from back in the day, long tails are the key to balance. The dubbing advice is great, I would say "gossamer" if that doesn't sound too frikkin' poetic.What's cool is at about the 15:25 mark you show without commenting that you can always back off and rewrap to get a better profile. That fly is killer.

[TheSilverr]

Solid tutorial! Great detail. Not that you need my encouragement, but great job Kelly!

[joshskinner]

Love these vids guys. Keep em coming! Can’t wait to tie one up! Thanks

[smitty]

Thank you. A really well thought out fly.

[flyrodhiker]

“Some of you out there like things kinkier” says a man who named a fly Sex Dungeon! lol I love your videos they’ve been a huge help but I couldn’t resist pointing that out

[PBoersting]

This is one of my top five dry flies. I heard you talking about it on a podcast (10 -15 years ago....?) and have fished it with success since.

[sirmegallot]

Kelly do you find the curved hooks affect hook sets? Thanks!

[rplecker]

Kelly- just noticed that you ditched the giraffe light, which I understand is now out of production in this new Chinese LED era. What is your new light? I have an old incandescent magnifier light and I’m thinking the bulb will go soon with no replacement.
Oh yeah, great fly by the way! I picked this fly up from you years ago when I got onto Bobby’s spinners- fish catching machines :-).