Velcro crab question - Jeff?

All about flies Fly Tying
1

I’m trying to tie the Velcro Crab, it it seems to want to land hook down. Is that the way it’s intended, or am I doing something wrong?

2

I can’t say as though I’ve had that problem as it often seems to right itself when stripped. You can attach a mono or fluoro weed guard if you like and it will keep it from hanging up on you when it does roll over. I do attach the weed guard when fishing around mangroves or heavy turtle grass to help prevent snags.

Hope this helps . . .

Jeff - AKA Dr. Fish
If it has fins and swims than I must chase it!

3

I think that if the lead eyes are tied on top of the hook shank, it should swim hook up like a Clouser Minnow. Otherwise, I don’t know why it would swim hook down.

I just checked the one here at FAOL and it doesn’t have lead eyes. Adding lead eyes or bead-chain eyes might help.
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/101303fotw.html:efe7b]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/101303fotw.html[/url:efe7b]

Try Del’s Merkin Permit Crab or at the very least it will give you an idea for tying in the eyes.
[url=http://www.anglersvice.com/retail/common/tieit/pattern.asp?id=69&store_id=212:efe7b]http://www.anglersvice.com/retail/common/tieit/pattern.asp?id=69&store_id=212[/url:efe7b]

Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

“Flip a fly”

[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 14 November 2005).]

4

For sure, lead eyes would allow this fly to land hook-up; however, I was wondering if there’s a tying ‘trick’ or procedure that would allow it to end up hook-up more often than not.

5

Maybe a lead strip or lead puddy on the top of the hook shank under the velcro might do the trick instead of lead eyes or bead-chain eyes. The only way I know of for sure so that the hook will ride up is to add some sort of weight to the top of the hook shank. Some bendback flies and reverse tied flies (see the Blonde bucktail series) have a reverse tied bucktail wing that goes under the hook shank and covers the hook gap so that the fly swims hook up and helps as a kind of weedguard. That’s another way but that’s for a bucktail streamer. Maybe somebody else has a novel idea .

Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

“Flip a fly”

[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 14 November 2005).]

6

I tried to use lead as a keel and the sink rate was not as effective as the weighted eyes.

Philip