Easily modified in weight and coloration, the McFly Crab is easily transposed to smaller sizes, something that can’t be said for many more complicated patterns. Tying Streamers: Essential Flies And Techniques For The Top Patterns. When I asked Drew about his thoughts on this pattern, the first thing he mentioned was how easy it was for kids to tie. While I do believe in presentation, I also believe that having a solid pattern that more accurately mimics the prey, casts and sinks well and maybe even breaks from the norm a bit can be a deciding factor in salty success. How to Tie a Realistic Crab Fly Crabs can make up as much as 70 percent of a redfish’s diet in many areas along the Florida coast. I used a cigarette lighter to taper the ends of the legs and claws because…well…why not?! Log in, How and Where to Catch Redfish in the Indian River Lagoon, Ode to Cabbage Palms Report and photo essay. Take for example, the Shrimpadillo fly, it’s a combination of a crab fly, shrimp fly, and a spoon fly that’s guaranteed to get engulfed by a hungry Redfish. Additional lengths may be applied to increase weight and sink rate as desired. See more ideas about saltwater flies, flying, red fish. Use markers to mottle the legs to match your local crabs. Not only will redfish dig them up but as they troll through the reeds they can knock crabs down into the water, so don't worry about stealthy casting as many times reds will head towards splash noises. After watching a video on tying egg patterns, the light went on in his head and he made the (perfect) association that both the material and the technique would make a textbook crab body. A short list of the species of crabs inhabiting the coastal marshes includes swimming crabs (blue crabs, lady, and pass crabs), fiddler crabs, and mud crabs. Once the McFlyFoam is anchored, move the thread forward to the hook eye and whip finish and clip. http://mtbpt.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-tie-blue-crab-fly.html Click for a materials list and frame by frame description of how to tie this great Crab Fly. He prefers them small and black. Tie it on a 1/0 hook and use bead eyes, even though it’s a shallow-water fly. Group three of the pieces together with the knots even and tie them in starting at the center of the shank. Choosing Redfish Fly Patterns And his favorite crab fly is a float/swimming deer hair pattern called the Hill Tide Hero. Way better than anything online, and the 2 above flies are great choices. Mar 25, 2020 - Explore Michael Talbot's board "crab patterns, flies" on Pinterest. Begin by laying a thread base from the eye of the hook to the bend and back again. Wrap over them to just short of the hook eye leaving only about a quarter inch of the material exposed between the knots and the shank. Swimming Crab Fly Pattern, Size 4, Qty. Some patterns are not species specific, such as the Merkin Crab; others, like the Bauer’s Flats Crab, do mimic a specific species. Contrary to most conventional crab patterns, Chicone starts his pattern with lengths of non-lead wire lashed to the shank in place of the ubiquitous lead eyes. He then cuts a dime-size circular piece of wool and threads the wool on the shaft of the hook. View the Candy Corn Crawler pattern on our Online Fly Shop. Though if water is real clear perhaps CW can tie you that mullet fly in pearl grey and white. Crab flies designed to replicate a major food source for Gulf Coast Redfish, the juvenile Blue Crab. Electric Bunny Fly This is a fast-sinking crab pattern that was designed by Carlos Hidalgo specifically for Redfish. I’ve said before that the saltwater fly tying arena could use a shot in the creative arm. Body: Tan and Brown McFlyFoam My favorite redfish fly pattern is a fuzzy variation of Tim Borski’s Chernobyl shrimp. Arguably the most imitated of crab flies, this pattern helped its creator, the … 3. Redfish Flies. Weight: .025 Non Lead Wire It's for this style of hunt-and-cast redfishing that guide Ben Alderman (843-906-3630) devised his favorite redfish fly, the Zap-A-Crab. Clip the end of the loop short to form a claw. In the Southeast crab and shrimp patterns are better. Crafty Shrimp. It's a simple Superglue fly Ben can make in about 10 minutes. Be sure to cover the wire with a smooth thread base. You need a few faux crabs in your fly box. You may want to make a few turns of thread around the legs to help separate them. Drew uses a combination of light blue and tan for the leg mottling and colors the tips of the claws with a red marker. The merkin crab fly has many variations, this pattern is our variation on this classic crab pattern that we have honed fishing for redfish off the coast of South Carolina. Crab Fly A seasoned saltwater fly-fisherman will tell you, there’s a fine line for making a solid cast for an approaching fish. What makes the fly different from other crab and glue-body designs, however, is that it's extremely weedless. Redfish love crabs, and they eat all kinds- swimming crabs, mud crabs, fiddler crabs, horseshoe crabs, and more. Redfish flies The Redfish Crack is a very effective pattern for many species like speckled trout, redfish, and flounder in the gulf of Mexico. It's a very simple pattern and a staple in any Redfish fishery. Cut six one and a half inch sections of micro ultra-chenille and tie an overhand knot in the center of each piece. Home Redfish Flies Page 1 of 1 Wild Water Fly Fishing Swimming Crab, Size 4, Qty. Spiney, I tie my own but CWFlies look great to me. Just make sure whatever you use has a weed guard to protect from getting caught in the spartina grass, as it's always a bummer spooking a fish by catching the grass on your strip in. Elk hair is the material used for the body of this fly… In general bigger weighted bait fish flies are used for redfish in Louisiana. His approach is tying and teaching is compellingly well thought out and his level of attention to detail borders on fanatical. Whether you're in the Lowcountry, Florida, or Louisiana, the Vlahos Combo Crab is a must have choice of any angler. I like to leave just a tiny gap between the butt ends on the shank. Tie three more pieces of ultra-chenille in on the back end of the shank in the same manner. The merkin crab fly pattern. Finishing off the fly with remarkably well planned eye mounting technique and a light coat of fabric paint across the belly, Drew ended up with a pattern that is not only super simple to tie but is also a dead ringer for the real deal. Nick Vlahos a.k.a. As a rule redfish crabs don’t need to be terribly realistic, only suggestive, and most should sink like they mean it. May 7, 2013 - Redfish Fly Patterns, Redfish Flies. Redfish in the lagoon and Indian River systems of Florida’s space coast have an obsession with this type of fly. Drew mentioned that he likes to carry a few of this pattern in a basic tan blank canvas color along with several permanent markers to customize their coloration and create more accurate matches. Now famous for his signature pattern, “The Sandbar Crab”, we decided to catch up with Nick to talk Redfish, fly design and where he takes inspiration from when creating new patterns. My Blue Crab variation of Eddie Wyatt’s Kung Fu Crab, is simply a larger and more colorful version of the classic permit pattern. Crab Fly If you want to get a redfish seeing red (pun intended), toss a small crab in front of his nose. Vlahos Combo Crab A great crab pattern for redfish in the marsh. Most any color combination will work, but I like brown or white and hardly ever use anything else. Eyes: Melted Mono or EP Crab and Shrimp Eyes, Large Starting his tying career at the ripe old age of six, Drew took to the vise with a fervor and is today creating some of the most incredibly simple to tie and creatively designed patterns I’ve seen. I found his methods for spinning peacock herl and even foam strips like deer hair to be fascinating and inventive and the book is loaded with lots of subtle tips, details and tricks only a Feather Brain could come up with. I like that. Cure the resin with the UV Light to lock everything in place. With your sharpest scissors, make one clean cut parallel to the hook shank across the top of the clump. Redfish love crabs, and they eat all kinds- swimming crabs, mud crabs, fiddler crabs, horseshoe crabs, and more. The fly should look like it barely moves. Peel several smaller strands of tan and brown McFlyFoam apart from the main clump and mix them to create a mottled rope as seen here. © Copyright 2019 - Charlie's Fly Box Inc. 3. Originally from upstate New York, and now Arizona, via Florida, Chicone grew up with two fly tying parents who took classes to combat the long winters. Crab patterns are best used up in the reeds on flood tides, where you will see most crab activity. I’m not saying there aren’t a lot of great saltwater fly patterns out there, but it has seemed to me that we, as anglers and tyers, often settle for “good enough” in saltwater applications where we’d all immediately go straight to the vise to do “better” in freshwater. This pattern is a very simple and quick tie which is great if you need to whip up a dozen for your box. The fly we’ll talk about here, Chicone’s McFly Crab pattern is, at first glance, “just” an incredibly realistic copy of the fodder you might find a bonefish, permit or redfish chasing down. I asked him about this and his reasoning was that the fly sinks more evenly rather than plunging sidelong to the bottom as well as the option to tailor the amount of weight to fly. My own favorite redfish crab pattern is the Merkin in size four. Upon closer inspection, you’d also find that it has a compelling design that is both well thought out and easily replicated. Put a thin coat of tan fabric paint over the tie down area across the bottom of the fly. For his Critical Crab, Reding starts with a number 4 or 6 Tiemco hook and adds gold 1/50-ounce dumbbell eyes. Quick Shop Wild Water Fly Fishing Swimming Crab, Size 4, Qty. Lift the McFlyFoam up and stretch it just slightly. As a rule redfish crabs don’t need to be terribly realistic, only suggestive, and most should sink like they mean it. Tie the McFlyFoam clump down at the center of the hook with six or seven tightly stacked wraps of thread. Two easy-to-tie patterns that match one of the most prolific food sources in the sea. Leave the thread hanging squarely between the eyes. Once the fish becomes aware of the fly, don’t move it! Do this step twice, creating two identical claws. The advantage of this Redfish Crab Pattern is that it will always ride hook point up, it makes a realistic splash when you cast it and it is visible in almost any water condition. In this photo, you can see the stems of the eyes protruding on the back of the fly. When it comes to fishing crab patterns, Permit, Bonefish, and Redfish find them irresistible. Fly fishers have an array of crab fly patterns, from simple puff patterns … Extras: UV Resin and Tan or Off White Fabric Paint. Double over a four inch length of ultra-chenille and tie an overhand knot in both strands resulting in the knotted loop seen here. The good old days of saltwater tying are back again. Crab pattern like the Kung Fu Crab, Merkin, Redfish Toad, Fools Gold, and Black Mamba all work great during the flood tides. My kind of tyer… For some fish, casting a crab pattern two … The crab fly would be a killer when they are eating fiddler crabs I love the above color mullet in stained water. The fly we’ll talk about here, Chicone’s McFly Crab pattern is, at first glance, “just” an incredibly realistic copy of the fodder you might find a bonefish, permit or redfish chasing down. Double over a length of non-lead wire and lash it to the top of the hook shank. As it turns out, it does, and his use of two mixed colors to mottle the shell is near genius. As a longtime commercial tyer, certified casting instructor and photographer, Chicone was in prime position to launch his ideas with the 2013 release of his book, Feather Brain, a compendium of his tips and tricks to develop, test and improve fly patterns. this utilizes small legs to help give this fly a little more movement and fish enticement. Apply a thin coat of thick UV Resin to the tie down and base of the eyes under the body. Redfish and many other species love to root around for these delicacies. I can’t argue with him there…this fly looks like it’s about to crawl off my desk! Legs and Claws: Micro Ultra Chenille, Tan More recently, a slew of great tyers have been doing just this and 35 year old Drew Chicone is quickly making his way to the forefront of the fight. Instead of being bound to two or three different sizes of lead eyes that may be slightly too much or too little weight, the weighted wire foundation can be tweaked for varying applications and water depths. Once you have made your cast to the redfish, creep the fly along the bottom with ultra-slow strips. While rubber-leg strands do indeed create tons of movement, the inherent fragility made them a no-go. Once the fish becomes aware of the fly, don’t move it! Crab Flies. Whenever bonefish, redfish, black drum, or permit refuse other flies, a simple crab … Crab flies are one of Reding’s top redfish patterns. The next step in the design process came at the legs and claws. Chicone opted for micro ultra-chenille for the appendages commenting that they hold markered color extremely well and create both a more realistic profile and a surprising amount of movement on their own. Use forceps or pliers to adjust the eyes themselves so they just peak out of the front of the body, then clip the stubs of the mono so they are hidden under the shell. Invert the hook in the vise. Browse the saltwater fly shop to see the full collection of crab flies available. Fishing crab patterns can be tricky. $10.00. My own favorite redfish crab pattern is the Merkin in size four. Pretty crafty. The fly should look like it barely moves. Once you have made your cast to the redfish, creep the fly along the bottom with ultra-slow strips. See more ideas about saltwater flies, crab, flying. Tie the claws in on the front side of the hook shank on either end, again, leaving only about a quarter inch of material between the knot and the hook shank. Most crab patterns, however, are more impressionistic. $10.00. Photo by David McCleaf. The McFly Crab is but one of several of Drew’s unusual patterns, many more of which are detailed in his book. This pattern performs extremely well in murkier waters or on overcast days, and just like any other fly the spoon has many variants that can cater to any situation. Thread: Tan 140 Denier UTC Most redfish in the Keys are caught on crab flies but that might be because anglers have bonefish and permit in mind and a redfish swims by. However a variation called the "cracklin" has come out that I feel is much better. As the final piece of the puzzle, Drew imaginatively used McFlyFoam, a spongy yarn type product typically used to tie egg patterns as the carapace for his crabby creation. It is a mix of a number of different patterns and works great as a shrimp, crab or even a baitfish. You need a few faux crabs in your fly box. [Article and Photography by Scott Sanchez] CRABS ARE MUST-HAVE FLY PATTERNS for inshore saltwater fishing. Upon closer inspection, you’d also find that it has a compelling design that is both well thought out and easily replicated. Del's Merkin Fly Pattern. It’s not just simple…it’s darn right easy and to kick it up a notch, even an inexperienced tyer can knock out great looking copies with basic tying skills. Exactly! If there was only one fly in my box to use for redfish in every situation it would be the … Tie the eyes in by their stalks with figure eight wraps, making sure they are spaced evenly and equidistant from each end of the hook. There are tons of crab patterns out there, so it’s … Redfish wolf this fly as soon as they see it. Hook: Gamakatsu SC-15 #1/0 What magically appears is a perfectly domed and mottled crab shell. Sandbar Flies is a Lousiana-born fly designer and commercial tyer.
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