When Chuck Kraft’s family approached us about producing some of Chuck’s purpose-built warmwater flies, we eagerly accepted the offer. Read on to learn about Chuck Kraft’s contribution to the fly fishing and fly tying space, and check out some of his iconic flies that bridge trout and warmwater fly fishing.
Who was Chuck?
Chuck Kraft was on a mission to tie a fly to emulate the Panther Martin spinner. But for years, it alluded him. So, when he awoke in the middle of the night with an idea, he immediately went to his vise. He tied up 3 flies—sitting at his vise completely naked—then went back to bed. This was the birth of what we now know as the Kreelex Minnow.
A fly designer and fly fishing guide, we’re grateful for the influence Chuck had on our sport. Lefty Kreh, Bob Clouser, and Flip Pallot described Chuck Kraft as the best Smallmouth guide in the country—and they’d know, because Chuck guided them many times. Truly, he was a pioneer of his craft.
If you were lucky enough to be in Chuck’s boat, you caught large fish. He was a full-time fishing guide from 1984 until 2012, and his clients would book him years in advance. Many of Chuck’s repeat clients would fish with him 6-25 times a year. His clients attributed their advanced skill level to years of Chuck’s guidance and teaching.
Chuck’s Contributions
While he started guiding in ’84, fly fishing and fly tying came many years earlier for Chuck. His first fly, the CK Nymph (1961), was nicknamed “The Wonder Nymph” for good reason. There was a famous article published in a 1971 issue of Field and Stream, written by S.R. Slaymaker II, about the Wonder Nymph. Other patterns followed like the Parakeet (1984), the Kreelex (1991), the CK Baitfish (1994), the Clawdad (1996), the Critter Claw (1998), the Curly Tail Critter Bug (2001) and the Crittermite (2013). One of Chuck’s big contributions to tying was when he pioneered the use of Ultrasuede, which came about when developing the CK Baitfish. Chuck used Ultrasuede in many of his fly patterns for its movement, stability and durability.
When Chuck Kraft developed a fly pattern, it was a long process. He would work on it and tweak it for years. For each of his patterns, there were often 5 to 10 prototypes developed before he thought the fly was ready to go public. Chuck was known to wear a mask and snorkel and swim in rivers to assess how his flies moved in water. By doing this, he could make adjustments to the patterns. He wanted to make sure it was exactly as he wanted, and wasn’t leaving anything to chance. One of the last flies Chuck created was the Crittermite. It went through 7 years of development before he was happy with it. It was publicly released in January, 2014.
It’s not every day that a true innovator comes into the world of fly fishing and fly tying. Without question, Chuck Kraft was one. We’re grateful to his family for continuing his legacy by giving us permission to produce his flies. We hope they treat you well on the water!
Kraft’s Baitfish
The CK Baitfish was publicly released in 1994. The pattern went through many phases of development regarding the materials used to tie the pattern. Chuck Kraft pioneered the use of Ultrasuede in the fly fishing industry when he designed the tail for the CK Baitfish. The CK Baitfish is productive on any species of predatory fish. It is equally effective in Freshwater as it is in Saltwater. The CK Baitfish tail design was upgraded in 2010 to improve the stability of the tail and eliminate foul hooking. Offered in white, and tan, on size 1 & 2/0 hooks.
Kraft’s Crittermite
Chuck began development on the Crittermite in 2007. He didn’t publicly release it until January of 2013, at the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset, NJ. He worked on the pattern and fished it in secret for 7 years because he wanted the fly to be balanced and have the same profile and movement as a real Hellgrammite. Unfortunately, by March of 2013 there were “knockoffs” of Chuck’s Crittermite Tail. The Crittermite has been an incredible pattern for both Smallmouth and Trout. Its profile, movement, and durability enable this fly to get the job done. Offered in brown, and black, on size 4 and 6 hooks.
Kraft’s Clawdad
The Clawdad was developed by Chuck Kraft in 1996. Chuck designed this crayfish pattern to emulate the action and profile of the Pig-N-Jig lure that Bass Anglers use. This fly has been producing Trophy Trout and Smallmouth bass for 3 decades. Chuck’s largest Brown trout was caught using a Clawdad while he was guiding in Chile. This fly pattern covers the deeper part of the water column. Offered in orange, and brown, on size 4 & 6 hooks.
You can find Signature Flies from Chuck Kraft on our website, or ask for them at your local fly shop!
Whether you’re chasing trout or bass, there’s a Chuck Kraft pattern that’ll do well for you.
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