Hook Size: 14/16
Scuds are found in both stillwaters and streams. Many anglers refer to them as shrimp.
They are members of the class Crustacea, order Amphipoda. Scuds’ are distant cousins
to the crayfish, sowbugs and shrimp. They can swim but they do so it a quick and erratic
manner. They usually swim six to twelve inches at a time and then pause for a few
seconds. Trout love them. Scuds are sensitive to light. That means the best time to imitate them is under low light conditions during the day or in the evening. They prefer weedy place but they can also be found in other areas.
Presentation:
You should present the “Perfect Fly” scud on or near the bottom in almost any situation.
They should be fished in short erratic movements. In slow moving streams, you can use a
hand twist or flicker of the rod tip with short pauses between. They are usually buried up
in the bottom grass, weeds or other vegetation. You may want to use a small strike
indicator and let the scud fly pass just over the vegetation.
Fishing in stillwater is different. You will need a floating fly line with a long leader or a slow
sinking fly line. They are usually in much deeper water than they are in a stream. Use a
short steady retrieve. A hand twist sometimes works best. You must keep the fly down
deep to catch trout. That takes careful attention in deep water lakes.
