By: Dustin Stanberry
With summer finally here, the redfish activity in the grass flats should start to pick up. With this in mind, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite saltwater patterns for flats feeding redfish. This pattern I believe is from Eddie Wyatt. Since this patterns inception, it has been tied in several variations and I believe this may be another. This pattern is a fairly easy fly to tie and very durable. It can be tied in many different color variations to imitate the crabs in the flats you are fishing. I like this fly tied in traditional blue crab coloration. I also like to tie it with a heavy hourglass eye so that it will drop through the grass.
The weed guard is optional although, I tie almost all of my crab patterns for flats fish weed less now. The most difficult part of this fly is probably working with the EP Fibers. To manage things, a very small hair clamp works great. Lastly, the eyes can either be purchased or made fairly easily with hard mono melted, painted with fingernail polish and coated with CCG Tack Free or your choice of tack free uv resin. As always, best wishes and tight lines!
Hook: Gamakatsu SC15, 1/0
Thread: UNI-Thread 6/0, Fire Orange
Bead: Presentation Lead Eye, Small
Eyes: Black Mono Eyes, Large or sized to fit fly.
Mouth: Cactus Chenille in Hot Orange, Medium
Mouthparts 1: Krystal Flash, Root Beer
Mouth Parts 2: Gray Marabou Fibers
Claws: Magnum Rabbit Zonker, Chinchilla. Split and coated with CCG Tack Free.
Claw Tip Color: Cascade Crest Tools Creative Color System, Red.
Body: Tan, Brown and Blue EP Fibers.
Legs: Hareline Fly Enhancer Legs, Lt. Blue/Pumpkin.
Dustin Stanberry is an instructor at Biltmore Fly Fishing and Sporting Clays located in Asheville, NC.