# scuds



## Nueces (Jul 22, 2008)

Here are a couple images of a scud, not the best photography but gives an idea of the body and legs.


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Look good enough to eat! Shrimp ****tail?


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## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

Do you fish them right near the bottom with floating line and just the movement of the waves, or do you impart some action? I've never tried them on a sinking line and a strip, any ideas of the effictiveness of such a technique?


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## Nueces (Jul 22, 2008)

I fish them in flowing streams with a floating line, bouncing them off the bottom. Put a split shot or something heavy in front to get them on the bottom. I have seen trout totally ignore them if the scuds go over their heads (close to the bottom), put the weight on and BAM, they will pick it up off the bottom.

I have had some hits doing a strip - trying to get the line tight and ready to cast again. Although they can swim, they mainly want to hide under rocks so I was surprised with a strike from stripping it.

I wonder if the trout think my scuds are sowbugs, or if my sowbugs are scuds... :roll:


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## browntrout (Apr 27, 2008)

Excellent picture. Very useful information. Thanks Nueces.


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## RnF (Sep 25, 2007)

I have had a lot of success stripping them in when fishing stillwater. Vary the speed and the amount stripped. These guys swim rather erratic.

Also trolling them slowly, or dead drifting them can catch some fishies if the stripping in doesn't produce.


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## Jesse Higgins (Sep 11, 2007)

Nice photos. 

The thing to remember about scuds is that they curl up when you take them out of the water to look at them (kinda like a pill bug), but they are usually stretched out fairly straight in the water when fish see them.


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## FishMogul (Sep 8, 2007)

Jesse Higgins said:


> The thing to remember about scuds is that they curl up when you take them out of the water to look at them (kinda like a pill bug),* but they are usually stretched out fairly straight in the water when fish see them.*


that brings up the debate of a straight or curved "scud" hook? I have had success with both.


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

> that brings up the debate of a straight or curved "scud" hook? I have had success with both.


 Me too

BTW, VERY nice photos, Nueces!


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## salmo_trutta (Apr 14, 2009)

Great photos! Very informative


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## Leaky (Sep 11, 2007)

+! ! Very informative thread, am learning something new and pretty important for fishing success.


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## dank80 (Oct 31, 2007)

Nueces said:


> I wonder if the trout think my scuds are sowbugs, or if my sowbugs are scuds... :roll:


I've always thought that sowbugs and scuds imitate the same insect. Is that wrong?


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## FLYFSHR (Apr 16, 2008)

A little bit...
Sowbugs (also known as pillbugs or rolly polies) aren't quite as prolific or as important as scuds (Amphipoda), but in certain waters they are more common and serve the same role. 

They (sow bugs) are much more wide and tend to sprawl their legs to the side instead of tucking them neatly under the body. They crawl around instead of swimming, so they are probably better imitated with a dead-drift 

They produce new broods once every two months, allowing them to populate a stream very quickly if enough food is there to support them.


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