Tying a Flex Crab Fishing Fly

The flex crab is one of the most innovative crab patterns in recent years. It has the profile of a crab, but also the design allows the fly to descend like a real crab….on a glide slope. There are too many color options to count. An all-white version allows you to make almost any color combo.  While this looks like an intimidating fly, it is very fun and straight forward.

Tying Tips:

• Use a strong thread so that you can tighten aggressively on the flex body tie-in
• Use a sharp pair of cuticle trimmers to cut away the waste flex body material. When trimming these butt ends, either where glasses or cover the fly while you trim…these ends are nasty if they get in your eye…or nose
• Add your eyes/sack on the shank aligned with the hook point
• Add a drop of superglue to the rear thread wraps before securing the crab body for the first time. After you whip finish this part, add a small layer of UV resin or epoxy to the thread wraps. This will help anchor this part of the fly, which is crucial when you start pushing on the flex body to make the body shape.
• The shape of the body will be determined by how much you push back…more pressure will create a round body. That said, some crabs have more a football shape. You can tie both.
• When secure the front of the body behind the eye, make one loose wrap of thread around the body while pushing the body material back….this takes some practice, but not complicated.
• Use a leg puller (https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-ALEGT.html) to help pull the legs and claws. The legs should be on the “edge” of the body (centered) when looking at the fly from the side
• Add colors to the body and legs, or don’t.
• We like an all-white crab because it is a blank canvas to create any color combo you want.

Recipe:

• Hook: Gama SL113H or SL12S, Sizes 6 – 1/0. https://www.discountflies.com/SRCH.html?Search=gama+sl11-3H or https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-GAMASL12SBG.html
• Bead: Lead or beadchain. https://www.discountflies.com/SRCH.html?Search=painted+lead+eyes
• Thread: SemperFlu Nano Silk 3/0. Color to match. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-SCW3.html
• Body: Raven and Wolf Flex Crab Body. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-RWFCB.html
• Legs & Claws: Cascade Crest Vernille. https://www.discountflies.com/product/M-RWFCB.html