Pheasant Crab

[Chefben4 0]

Just posted a SBS for the pheasant crab I tied the other day. In some references Ive seen it called the Crabapple. Enjoy!

 

http://wishinyouwerefishin.blogspot.com/2014/01/pheasant-crab-sbs-crabapple-crab.html

 

[utyer 0]

Great looking pattern.

[BassMouth87 0]

Amazing, thanks for taking the time to do a write up!

 

I am betting that these bad boys will work wonders on smallies...going to be a bunch tied on my days off here! I am curious about coating the claws with the uv resin, does this create more durability I am assuming? I wonder if leaving them without any treatment would increase the movement of the claws when hopping or swinging it. Amazing pattern, will be playing with some different color variations for sure!

[notenuftoys 0]

Wow, fantastic fly! Thanks for the SBS, chef.

[BassMouth87 0]

I tied up a few to play with and they look fantastic in the water for the most part. My only problem is they don't want to ride hook point up and instead want to fall and land on the bottom hook point down. I love the look and motion of the body and legs but find the claws to stationary for my liking, think I may play around with some other materials, puffs of rabbit perhaps. Love the pattern though and thanks again for sharing, I am betting that these bad boys will be deadly for smallies in the summer.

[BassMouth87 0]

Played around some more, think that the combination of the hooks I am using and the pheasant feather shell backs are causing the flip of the fly. When I removed the pheasant feathers and replaced them with a feather slicked with uv resin as a shell back pulled over it stopped the problem of the fly flipping in the water and landing hook point down. As well I changed the claws to some zonker strips for more movement and that fluttering look as the crayfish scutters away from a predator. Love this pattern as it has lead me to create a variation that I am very happy with, looks REALLY good in the swim tests, cannot wait to swing this bad boy for smallies.

[Chefben4 0]

Thanks Bassmouth! You wont offend me if you post up pictures of your variations!! In fact, Id like to see them. On my Step by Step I used pretty heavy eyes and it seemed to ride the correct way. Also has a bit of a wobble. Probably depends on the hook, water movement, and every other unknown factor.

 

As far a the claws.. I like the coated feathers for durability. I wish the stems were more "supple" so they would move, but the fact they look like claws may be the trigger point for the fish. Im not a huge rabbit fan in flies but I may mess around with the pattern a bit more.

[kentuckytroutbum 0]

Chefben-

 

That is an awesome fly. I have to tie some and try it out on the flats for bonefish & permit. Should work great.

 

It triggered something in my mind: Never really thought of tying the feathers flat along the hook shank. This could mimic a shellfish carapace, or in a fresh water fly, it could mimic wings/wing case on a flying insect. Thanks for the idea.

 

Bill

[Chefben4 0]

Chefben-

 

That is an awesome fly. I have to tie some and try it out on the flats for bonefish & permit. Should work great.

 

It triggered something in my mind: Never really thought of tying the feathers flat along the hook shank. This could mimic a shellfish carapace, or in a fresh water fly, it could mimic wings/wing case on a flying insect. Thanks for the idea.

 

Bill

 

Thanks Bill! Id like to claim the "style" as my own but regretfully it, like many other techniques, has been done before.

 

WIth that being said, itd be great to see renditions of it! I thought of making some smaller for bones and permit. Maybe even trying out some other dyed feathers for different colors! But there is something to be said about the natural colors too!

[hector 0]

Wow, great looking fly!