Shell Olive/natural deer hair mixed with olive rabbit (several clumps)
How to tie it
Tie the lead dumbbell eyes on top of the shank near the hook eye and add a few wraps of.020 lead behind them. The fly must dive nose-first like a crab bolting for the bottom. Fly rides point up.
At the bend tie in the two crab claws splayed in a V, plus two short melted black chenille stubs as eyes.
X-wrap three strands of olive Ultra Chenille across the shank so you get six legs sticking out sideways; knot or singe the tips for feet.
Bind a strip of light olive Furry Foam along the underside as the belly.
Spin and stack alternating clumps of mixed deer hair and rabbit fur along the shank between the legs, working to the dumbbell eyes; a drop of Zap-Goo at each station keeps it bombproof.
Whip finish, then trim the hair flat top and bottom into a rounded muffin-shaped carapace, leaving legs, claws and eyes free. WHY hair over wool: deer and rabbit soak up water so the fly sinks fast yet still lands softer than an epoxy crab.