My Pinche Crab pattern was originally based on a modified Will Bauer crab pattern that still remains the go-to fly pattern for permit in Belize. Will taught me how to tie his crab over twenty-nine years ago at the fly-fishing show in San Mateo, back when he owned the Blue Horizon Lodge and partnered with guide Lincoln Westby. At the time, Will was also working closely with writer Jack Samson on his book about permit fishing.
The Bauer Crab was a simple pattern about the size of a dime, constructed with olive wool, mono eyes, and brown silicone legs splaying out of the body. Another pattern I studied closely as a young fly tyer was Del Brown’s famous permit fly called the Merkin. The Del Brown Merkin used Aunt Lydia’s rug yarn for its body, tied perpendicular to the hook shank and trimmed into an oval shape, slightly triangular near the eyes so it would dive. It had silicone legs, two rear hackles, and heavy dumbbell eyes to get to the bottom quickly. Del fished primarily in Florida with legendary guide Steve Huff and is still considered the father of modern permit fly fishing, with a major Florida permit tournament named after him. Both of these patterns are still regarded as the best permit patterns ever created and continue to take their share of permit today.
The reason I designed the Pinche Claw system was because a lot of permit fly fishers were complaining that when they stripped the fly, it sometimes would spin and not move correctly across the bottom. Also, if the fly landed hook down, it might hang up, even with a weed guard. My Pinche Crabs use the same principles in their body construction as the Merkin or Bauer Crab, although I sometimes use a different material for my crab bodies: air-conditioning filter material. It’s cheap, comes in white, which can be colored, and it can be trimmed to any size. I sandwich it together with Zap-A-Gap once I build my crab with craw and legs in position. The main variation of my fly from the classics is my way of making crab claws out of knotted EP Fibers loaded with clear silicone. When dried and trimmed, these silicone claws will float up and make the crab appear as if it’s retreating in a defensive posture. They also help turn the crab in the proper orientation, with the hook pointed up. Using the original masters Del and Will’s time-proven crab body shapes, then adapting my Pinche crab claws gives me confidence in the fly. I have been tying and experimenting with these for over ten years now, continually modifying them and passing them on to fly-fishing buddies around the world. A handful of dedicated anglers have fished these flies with much success over the years when targeting permit. I have also used them locally in Southern California to catch calico bass along rock walls.
There are many ways you can use my Pinche Claw system when creating crustacean patterns. It works very well, for example, in the popular single strong-arm pattern designed by my friend Davy Skok. You can also add these claws to the side of the pattern or in the rear at the bend of the hook, depending on how you want the crab to move. On any pattern, they turn over nicely. They are easy to adapt to any classic saltwater or freshwater fly pattern, including red crabs, sidewinder crabs, baby lobsters, and freshwater crayfish. Fish them with a Nonslip Mono Loop so they sink fast and move freely. Here’s how to build Q’s Pinche Crab Claw.
Materials
EP Fibers (combine various colors to match the type of crab you wish to imitate)
Silicone in tube (100 percent waterproof, clear)
Plain paper and wax paper
Waterproof markers, including red (used to color or to accentuate, for spots or highlight colors)
Scissors
ZAP Thin CA adhesive
Tying Instructions
Step 1: Cut lengths of EP Fibers in whatever colors best represent the crustaceans you wish to tie. You also can use plain white EP Fibers and add color with markers. Start the claws by tying an Overhand Knot in the center of the fibers.
Step 2: Lay the fibers on a piece of paper and color them or accentuate their colors with markers. Use your imagination.
Step 3: Lay the colored fibers on piece of wax paper and dispense small drops of clear silicone onto your bodkin. Saturate the fibers, starting at the knot and fanning toward the ends until your claw is fully saturated. Flip the claw and repeat on the other side, and make sure to hit the knot, as well. Now use the tip of your bodkin to stroke the sides of the fibers so there’s a clean edge on both sides. Let the claw dry.
Step 4: When dry, remove the claw from the wax paper and use the scissors to clean up the edges by following the contour of the EP Fibers. Trim across the top of the claw at your preferred length up from the knot.
Step 5: Now, trim away the middle of the claw to form the tips. Also, from the knot, cut into the material to make a slight curve on both sides. See the photo for what the claw should look like, but you can make it to your liking — there’s no perfect claw.
Step 6: To place a particular bend in the claw, such as at its knot or at other joints, bend it with your fingers and add then a drop of Zap CA on both sides of the bend to maintain the desired angle.
