Very popular, but don't seem to work for me. Diawl bach, PTN, Hares ear all fine, but crunchers - fish don't seem to care for them.

Floaters, intermediates, DI3 all had their go. For a "never off the cast" fly for some I must be using it at the wrong time, wrong way or just tied wrong (brownish hackle tail, two thirds pheasant/one third peacock, copper wire rib to help protect it from those fish ... and a greenwells hackle. I've seen Captains post on the original on another thread, maybe i need to go more claret on the peacock.

I'd put it down to a confidence thing but that can't be affecting just one fly on the cast as the Diawl Bach usually picks one or two up when their fished in a team.

How do you fish yours?

It is often a question of confidence and not only using a fly when the going is tough anyway and none of your favourites are working either.
I usually use crunchers as a top dropper in 12s and 14s. I have a number of variants most involving some sparkle somewhere in the pattern. Red holo tinsel works for me - either as a rib or as small cheeks to the peacock herl. Also try replacing the peacock with a little bit of sparkly dubbing, Glister or similar.
Just recently I have been having some success down at Chew with all black ones with a silver holo rib - tied on light hooks to help keep it up in the water.
It's a very versatile fly with lots of variants imho.

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Andrew W

"Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets." Arthur Miller

same as a PTN mate! yeah it must be a confidence thing try different variants the patterns shown are methods,half the fun is devising your own thing!!! try using different materials for the thorax

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an interesting mix of apathy and panic

Clive M

Ahhh Mate,

your missing out...

Crunchers are deadly...fish them on the washing line almost static and the fish just run off with them.....but it is a confidence thing..

My preferences are, Red Holo Graphic...or the Silver or Gold Cheeked versions...that Fulling Mill do...

Just fish them for a day when the PTN or Diawls are working and have faith

Cheers Rob

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Mock me, vilify me, but don’t ignore me!

Cheers guys.

So... static to slow, near the top size 12ish bit of flash and patience

we'll have another go at Stocks once the Demon comes back from Hardy, but with two snapped lines, a broken reel and two dropped double browns from two trips this year I'm not holding out for much luck!

I have always done well with crunchers specially for bows i include a small ammount of flash in the thorax,
Always fish size 12s this is the only size that works for me.

I've been using them this year for the first time.

Absolutely deadly fished very very slowly as others have said.

Predominantly black with a hot head have worked best for me.

It's becoming a "go to" fly for me.

Cheers

W

(should add they seem to work equally well for rainbows and wild brownies imo)

If you're catching well on the 'holy trinity' of d bach, ptn and hare's ear, why bother with crunchers? I never have. I use these 3 patterns plus buzzers and emergers for most of my rainbow fishing, on hard fished waters and rarely have to resort to anything else. I think we've all gone pattern mad these days. I used to eagerly copy all the latest must have patterns from the mags
but I rarely used any of them, or only gave them a swim when all else had failed. I've gone back to basics. I got fed up with 'tinkering'. As Ollie Kite demonstrated with his bare hook nymph, (blindfold), it's all about confidence and presentation. There will always be room for genuine innovation, though.
And yes, I'm a grumpy old man.

Snap..black cruncher with a red hot head and a slow figure of 8 on a floating line works well for me also.

cheers Diarmid.

I've tried them this year, no luck as yet but I seem to be doing it right anyway.