Crandall's Slumpbuster

Rob Crandall lives in Portland, Oregon, where he operates Water Time Outfitters, which offers guided fishing trips on the Deschutes River for trout and steelhead, as well as guided fly fishing for steelhead on the Clackamas, NF Nehalem, Trask and Oregon Coast rivers in the winter. It is on these rivers that Rob designed and developed his fish-catching patterns. He grew up on the banks of the Clackamas River and has been a licensed Oregon fishing guide since 1992. Rob is also the past editor of Flyfishing & Tying Journal magazine.

Crandall’s Slump Buster is the go-to steelhead fly pattern when you’re in the last inning and need to make it happen. This fly has pulled through so many times for me while guiding. This variation of black and blue works well under a wide array of fishing conditions and all seasons of the year. Black marabou and flash moves enticingly in the water over a black/blue sparkle mixed dubbing combined with the alluring movement of a blue rabbit fur tail. The added bonus of the red high visibility tag gives it just that little bit more of attention grabbing draw. In addition, the white eyes add a strong contrast against the dark composition of the fly creating a good marker point of visibility fish key on. The Crandall’s Slump Buster has lived up to it’s name many times and is a sure winner in any fly box.