RudnickSchaal87

Today, there is certainly no shortage of new and old Fly Fishing patterns available for the fly anglers that also enjoys tying flies. Of course, many of them work very well but one thing that it seems many anglers don't have a lot of in their fly box are scud patterns.

This is a shame! Scud patterns are terrific flies at catching fish, and work especially well on both largemouth and smallmouth bass. But bass are not the only species of fish that eat scuds - rainbow trout, brown trout and just about any fish you can think of include a high proportion of scuds in their diet. In some waters, these crustaceans can make up for 20% or more of a fish's diet. In waters where scud populations are high, rainbow trout can put on quite a bit more weight in a year than in waters where scuds are not as populous.

Although some anglers think scuds are shrimp, they are not. With their 7 pairs of legs, scuds are powerful swimmers but will curl up into a ball like shape when they feel endangered. Shrimp on the other hand will try to spring away from danger.

It is understandable that some anglers consider scuds to be shrimp, however as well as the difference in their danger response, their legs are positioned differently on their bodies than a shrimp's legs.

Scuds do not hatch into winged insects. They do hatch from an egg, and then spend their entire life in the water, simply growing into adult scuds while increasing in size.

Scud patterns should be tied up on curved hooks such as the Tiemco 2488 or the Gamakatsu C12B. Generally, size 12 to 16 hooks can be used although some anglers like their scuds even smaller. They may be tied in a variety of colors including tan, gray, orange and yellow. However, when tying your scuds, bare in mind that they are fairly close to transparent and the color they take on comes from the hue of whatever they have been eating which is lodged in their intestine.

If you're an avid small or largemouth Fishing For Bass, be sure to have some scuds in your fly box. They just might be the ticket when nothing else is working. There are a variety of Lake Fishing techniques that can be used when the fish don't seem to be biting that can improve your chances. Don't forget that scuds can move quickly - keep that in mind when fishing them.