FLY OF THE MONTH CONTEST
APRIL 2011
fotm-april-2011 

MOLE CRAB-SAND FLEA-SAND CRAB

What ever name you call it. This pattern was one of my first flies I tied back in the late 70’s and it still works great so I thought I would pass it on to you to tie up before our surf fish class in May. Make sure you put some weight on it to get down to the ocean floor right next to all them elusive corbina. You can tie it with Estaz, regular chenille or pearl chenille, also with or without the egg sack.

Pattern

Hook – Mustad #34007 #6-#8 or smaller, has a longer shank Gamakatsu #SC15 #6-#8 or smaller, has a shorter shank
Thread – Tan or grey 3/0 or size A (thick thread)
Weight– Lead wire, the thickness of the hook shank
Shell- Natural deer hair (long)
Egg Sack – Orange Estaz, regular chenille, or pearl chenille
Body- Grey regular chenille or root beer Estaz
Legs- Grey or tan saddle hackle feather
Shell Coating- Softex or other flexible coating

HOW TO TIE

  1. Put hook in vice- put about 9 or 10 turns of lead wire in about the middle of the hook shank. Start your thread in front of the lead and then work thread toward the rear of the lead wire to the rear of the hook shank.
  2. Tie in your deer hair (about the thickness of a pencil or less depending on the hook size) on the back of the hook shank and this will be the shell. Make sure to remove the fuzz and no need to stack, just tie in the butt ends and keep it on top, don’t spin it.
  3. Tie in your egg sack and wrap forward 2-3 turns.
  4. Tie in your hackle feather (the gap width or a longer one and you can clip it to size. I know it’s hard to find a saddle hackle because the ladies are using them in their hair and depleted the rooster feather stock)
  5. Tie in your body chenille then wrap your thread forward to about one eyelet from the eye. Then wrap your body forward and tie off but be careful not to crowd the head because you still have to tie the shell.
  6. Palmer the hackle forward and tie off.
  7. Bring the deer hair forward on top with a little bit down the sides of the fly. Build a small tapered head to cover deer hair ends. Whip finish- clip thread.
  8. Coat the deer hair shell with softex to give it a soft shell feel to it (they love the soft shell crabs) If you used longer than hook gap saddle for the legs you will need to clip it.

Now go tie up a few dozen in different sizes and colors with and without the egg sack and don’t forget to sign up for the surf fishing class in May.

If you tie this fly then fish it, please give me some feedback on how well it worked for you. Or for any other questions, please contact me.

CARL WUEBBEN   >)))))))(‘>