10 replies to this topic

[Trey9123]

I am getting into fly tying, and I do a lot of fishing along Carolina coasts. I would like to be able to tie a realistic but fishable Mole Crab pattern for Pompano and Whiting in the surf. The closest flies that I have been able to find are these, and neither really tickle my fancy. If you have any better ideas please let me know.

http://www.danica.co...y_mole_crab.htm
http://69.13.183.36/...yung's Mole.htm

[Jeremy Parker]

I am getting into fly tying, and I do a lot of fishing along Carolina coasts. I would like to be able to tie a realistic but fishable Mole Crab pattern for Pompano and Whiting in the surf. The closest flies that I have been able to find are these, and neither really tickle my fancy. If you have any better ideas please let me know.

http://www.danica.co...y_mole_crab.htm
http://69.13.183.36/...yung's Mole.htm

Send me a picture of a real mole crab from all angles and I will try and tie it!

blessings,
Jeremy

[Trey9123]

I'm not actually at the beach right now, so I can't dig one up and send pics. You should be able to get a pretty good idea from these links I found on-line. As far as I can tell, the Pacific and Atlantic varieties look identical. I think the most important features are the bright orange egg sac and the exposed gills which look like antenna. The bury themselves in the sand with there rounded ends first, so so I think that that is the end that needs to be near the eye of the hook. I think that that end also needs to be weighted enough to keep them on the bottom in the surf because all the species I am fishing for feed off the bottom in that zone. They get up to about an inch long but I have the most luck fishing live ones that are about the size of a thumbnail. Any advice you could give me would be great, or I would love to see an example tied by a true master.

http://snailstales.b.../mole-crab.html

http://boatlessfishi...c...48&p=176360

http://eol.org/pages/344198

[riffleriversteelheadslayer]

here is a simple sand flea I tie for a friend of mine that he says works great
 003.JPG   97.85KB   90 downloads

 002.JPG   97.39KB   54 downloads

its really simple
antenae ostrich herl
eyes burnt mono
carapace swiss straw
rib copper wire
lead weight
thorax natural brown dubbing
egg sac flourescent orange ice dubbing

[blakejd]

Interesting idea. I have vague memories of digging up mole crabs in the NW and boiling them up for dinner in an old tin can. I'd love to know how you plan to fish them.

[Jeremy Parker]

I'm not actually at the beach right now, so I can't dig one up and send pics. You should be able to get a pretty good idea from these links I found on-line. As far as I can tell, the Pacific and Atlantic varieties look identical. I think the most important features are the bright orange egg sac and the exposed gills which look like antenna. The bury themselves in the sand with there rounded ends first, so so I think that that is the end that needs to be near the eye of the hook. I think that that end also needs to be weighted enough to keep them on the bottom in the surf because all the species I am fishing for feed off the bottom in that zone. They get up to about an inch long but I have the most luck fishing live ones that are about the size of a thumbnail. Any advice you could give me would be great, or I would love to see an example tied by a true master.

http://snailstales.b.../mole-crab.html

http://boatlessfishi...c...48&p=176360

http://eol.org/pages/344198

First of all I'm no master, I only started realistic tying a few months ago, but would love the challange to try and tie this fly. I will tye one and get in contact with you on how I tyed it, if you would like??

Blessings,
Jeremy Parker

[Trey9123]

That would be awesome, thanks. I am actually living in Abu Dhabi in the UAE right now, but my contract is up in 4 months and I am getting married on Topsail Island NC right after that and moving back to South Carolina. I have done lots of surf fishing there, usually using live mole crabs as bait, but I really want to try some fly in the surf when I get back. I think it will work well if I can find the right pattern, most of the fish hit almost right at shore as the tide comes in. It is usually pompano, whiting, sheepshead, and flounder, but when you hook into a 20 lb. redfish or black drum 10 feet from the beach it will really get the heart racing. I have a shrimp pattern that I like to tie, and a petty good blue crab, but this mole crab pattern eludes me. Thanks again for the responses and I will look forward to seeing what you come up with.

[Jeremy Parker]

Trey9123

Well here is a quick one under 10 minutes to tie, if this meets your needs . Right now its still easy to tie. If so PM me and I will let you know How I build it. its very heavy double layer of 18lb lead core line. A chuck and duck fly!! I will be working on one more real than this just for my own collection its a cool subject to tie. so keep an eye out for it crawling across the screen! just want to try a bunch of ideas so it will take a while

Blessings,
Jeremy

Attached Files

•  mole_crab_001.JPG   337.18KB   76 downloads
•  mole_crab_005.JPG   517.18KB   70 downloads

[steelie]

Good Day,

You might like this of my design...

http://www.flytyingf...mp;hl=mole crab

Simple tie, anly a few materials. Rubber strip (in this case white balloon strip), chenille and krystal flash.

Choose appropriate size hook to match the season growth cycle. Tying from the eye of the hook to the hook bend, they swim backwards...;-) Tie in white rubber strip (can also substitute white waterproof paper or Tyvek) two wraps of orange micro chenile. If needed, color white micro chenille with a blue marker for the legs. Cut to proper length then gently wave through a flame to obtain taper. Tie in legs on underside of the body. Tie in Krystal Flash at front (head) of fly. Wrap white thread back to hook bend and through legs. Bring stip over back and either Super Glue or tie into place. Trim strip to a point like on the real thing. Done... that simple! Fish with short quick strips.

Steelie

[Toyota Mark]

If you don't mind me asking, and excuse the question for my first post.... How do you plan on fishing this? In Jacksonville/NEFL area a lot of people take live or dead mole crabs and stick them on a surf rig.

Are you just going to walk down the beach and cast into the surf untill you get hooked up with something? How far into the surf are you going to wade? How does the waves effect your casting line, do you just let the wave take it where it wants to or do you make a back cast before the wave gets to it?

I realize this is slightly off topic but I'm very interested in taking my 8wt down for a day at the beach.

[Trey9123]

I take a lot of whiting and pompano pretty close to the beach in the surf. I figured that I could just walk ankle deep and cast out and see what happens. It will be an experiment for me. I will let you know how it goes.