Bodkin / Patterns

Mccrab Anderson

Crab · Permit · Bonefish · Redfish · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook saltwater flat/standard, straight eye (Mustad 34007 or Gamakatsu SC15), 1/0-4
  • Thread tan/beige size B (or 210 denier)

Materials

  • Lead dumbbell eyes Silver/painted dumbbell eyes (1 pair, medium)
  • Grizzly or tan saddle hackle tips Tan/grizzly hackle (2, splayed)
  • Krystal Flash Tan/pearl flash (few strands)
  • Mono crab eyes Black mono or thread (1 pair, stubby)
  • Deer body hair Natural tan deer hair (several clumps)
  • Round rubber legs Tan/barred rubber legs (2-3 pairs)
  • Fabric puff paint / flexible cement Tan/sand fabric puff paint flexible cement (as needed)

How to tie it

  1. Bind lead dumbbell eyes on TOP of the shank near the hook eye with figure-8 wraps so the finished fly rides hook-point-up; lock with a drop of cement.
  2. At the bend tie two saddle tips concave-sides-out, splayed one shank long, as the claws, flanked by a few strands of tan Krystal Flash.
  3. Just ahead of the claws add the two black mono eyes, splayed out to the sides on short stubs.
  4. Spin natural deer body hair onto the shank in tight clumps, packing each bundle hard back against the last, until the shank is full to just behind the dumbbell.
  5. Whip finish and remove from the vise. Trim the spun hair to a flat, oval crab-shell disc. Wide and thin, flat on the bottom, domed on top.
  6. Glue a pair of trimmed rubber legs into each side, then coat the flat underside with tan fabric puff paint or flexible cement for ballast and durability and let it cure.

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