Quigley Cripple
Imitates: Stuck-in-shuck mayfly emerger (PMD, BWO, Callibaetis, Green Drake)
Quick Reference
- Best Sizes
- #14-18
- Best Season
- Late spring through summer during mayfly hatches
- Best Conditions
- Spring creeks, tailwaters, selective trout, picky risers
- Water Temp
- 50-65°F
- Recommended Tippet
- 5X-6X
How to Rig It
Single dry, or 18" behind a high-floating attractor like a Parachute Adams.
How to Present It
Dead-drift through risers. Fish refusing dries during a hatch will often crush a cripple sitting low in the film.
Why It Works
Cripples — mayflies that can't free themselves from the nymphal shuck — are easy meals trout target during a hatch. The trailing shuck and forward-leaning wing imitate this stage perfectly.
History
Designed by Bob Quigley on California's Fall River in the 1980s, the Cripple silhouette is now the template for emerger patterns worldwide.
Pro Tip
When fish are refusing your dun pattern during a hatch, switch to a cripple in the same color. It's the #1 trick for sipping rises in slow water.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I fish a Quigley Cripple?+
During any mayfly hatch when trout are eating but refusing standard dry flies. Cripples make up 15-20% of any hatch.
Not sure if Quigley Cripple is right today?
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