By Richard Farino. Photos by Kary Via
Kary Via’s Sweet Meat Crab
Kary Via has spent years chasing these orange-tinted bulldozers in the shallows of coastal North Carolina’s marshes, and has developed a pattern that replicates the large fiddler crabs that live in these areas.
Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 #1/0.
Thread: Brown Flat Waxed Nylon
Eyes: Medium lead eye
Tail: Brown barred magnum rabbit strip, marabou to cover rear wraps
Claws: Four grizzly hackles, splayed
Legs: Pumpkin/Green Sili Legs
Body: Medium root beer palmering chenille
Weed Guard: 40-p0und hard mono
Step One: Tie in lead eyes securely one eye length behind hook eye.
Step Two: Tie in and splay two grizzly hackles on each side, making sure feathers curve outwards.
Step Three: Tie Bunny strip with hide facing upwards – fly will ride hook point up. Tie in a pair of rubber legs on each side of bunny strip.
Step Four: Palmer marabou to hide rear wraps for a neat fly.
Step Five: Tie in palmering chenille and wrap forward, stopping behind eye.
Step Six: Tie in second pair of legs on each side just behind lead eyes.
Step Seven: Add 40-pound hard mono weed guard by folding in half and tying in from bottom of fly. Make sure to separate weed guards and cross wrap to secure. Apply liberal coating of your favorite head cement.
