Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Killer Crab Assassin Bug (K-CrAB) - SBS

Crabs are tricky little fellows.  And crab flies are also tricky little fellows- to tie at least.  They look extremely simple but there are lots of little techniques and tricks that make tying a crab fly much easier.

There were two flies that stood out in Farquhar.  One was the black brush fly and the other was the K-Crab.  It took Permit, GT's, Triggerfish, Snapper, Emporers, you name it.  Watching a Trigger spot this fly was the most entertaining thing to see.  They jumped on it like a fat kid on stray piece of cake.  You could almost see the expression change on their faces.. like "I cant believe my luck! a crab! Right here!" - Hook set.

Interestingly I tied some without the barred legs (white legs instead).  And one particularly fussy Trigger durned down that and a few other crabs before I tied one of these on.  It hardly even hit the bottom before being eaten.

The K-CrAB SBS:
Materials Needed

Trim claws off tan zonker

The tie in

both claws on (you can leave them long or trim them.  I prefer short claws and will demonstrate the extra steps needed for those)

Tip 1 -Trim excess zonker skin to a "V" shape

Makes for a much smaller profile
The Snip
Cleaning off excess
Cut tips longitudinally to give natural fade out
Like so.
1 of 2 different tones of EP Fibre
Tip 2 - Tie the EP on top. NOT on the bottom like a Merkin.
Tie in as you would dumbells.  I only wrap once either way.  Use heavy thread for added insurance
Tip 3- use lead to tie back original hanks and give you space to work. Tip 4 - whip finish after each addition to thread doesnt slip on your next leg set or EP Fibre section.
Getting there...


Tip 5 - Tie a shoulder to give the dumbells a place to sit

The cover up hank.  Goes over the top of the dumbells.
Like so.
Tip 6 - Pull tight and "roll" each section while pulling tight with the bobbin to keep it neat and tight.
Trimming begins

Ready for weedguard

20 lb PURE flouro.  100% Flouro has enough memory to allow you to bend it to shape after.
Tip 7 - First wrap your weedguard like this and then pull it tight to the shank.  Easiest way to keep it symmetrical.
There she is...
The Killer Crab Assassin Bug. (K-Crab Fly)


3 comments:

  1. Fantastic tutorial Peter,Has fish written all over it!

    ReplyDelete
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  3. Very cool Crab!What were or are our favorite hook and dumbbel sizes for the different species?

    ReplyDelete

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