Crab and Shrimp Flies for the Flats
Bill Mitchell
Look in any flats fisher’s fly box and you will see the equivalent of a box of Cadbury’s Roses. Many colours and shapes – all waiting to be gobbled. Like Cadbury’s Roses, we all have favourites we reach for first and others we let sit in the box for a while. Look in my fly boxes and it won’t take long to discern some obvious favourites. Without doubt, mine are crab and shrimp flies. I generally have three full fly boxes: crabs, shrimp and general flats patterns like charlies, clousers and bendbacks. A fourth box is used as a sampler to take with me onto the flats.
Peter Morse’s book “A Few Good Flies and How to Fish Them” has detailed and insightful chapters on these types of flies. If you don’t have that book you should go straight out and buy it.
The fly patterns in this article reflect the flies I use and have in my box. They aren’t the only ones I use but they are among the best I’ve found. Don’t be afraid to tie your own versions of these flies, adapt them, and do whatever works where you are fishing. Always give due respect to the originator though.
In that vein, many crab and shrimp flies originate from a few master patterns. Crab flies obviously all owe a debt of gratitude to patterns like Del’s Merkin and other innovators like Borski. Likewise, many shrimp patterns have evolved from the humble Crazy Charlie or epoxy variants like Popovics’ shrimp. Many of these original patterns still work and should be included in your flybox. People fishing for bones still throw charlies and gotchas whether they are in Australia, Christmas Island, Florida or the Caribbean. Likewise, people fishing for permit still throw merkins whether they are in the US, Belize, Australia or the Seychelles.
In some ways, some crab and shrimp flies can also be general patterns. In my opinion it is no accident that both flies also represent other prime flats tucker. Crab flies can easily resemble bi-valves and shrimp flies often look a bit wormy, with that long wing waving around.
And before anyone gets upset about the word “shrimp”, I use it collectively include swimming crustaceans such as prawns, mantis shrimp and others. Let’s get stuck into the characteristics that make a good crab or shrimp fly.
* Flies pictured in this article were tied by Peter Smith, Enrico Puglisi, Jon Makim and Geoff Volter.
Peter Morse’s book “A Few Good Flies and How to Fish Them” has detailed and insightful chapters on these types of flies. If you don’t have that book you should go straight out and buy it.
The fly patterns in this article reflect the flies I use and have in my box. They aren’t the only ones I use but they are among the best I’ve found. Don’t be afraid to tie your own versions of these flies, adapt them, and do whatever works where you are fishing. Always give due respect to the originator though.
In that vein, many crab and shrimp flies originate from a few master patterns. Crab flies obviously all owe a debt of gratitude to patterns like Del’s Merkin and other innovators like Borski. Likewise, many shrimp patterns have evolved from the humble Crazy Charlie or epoxy variants like Popovics’ shrimp. Many of these original patterns still work and should be included in your flybox. People fishing for bones still throw charlies and gotchas whether they are in Australia, Christmas Island, Florida or the Caribbean. Likewise, people fishing for permit still throw merkins whether they are in the US, Belize, Australia or the Seychelles.
In some ways, some crab and shrimp flies can also be general patterns. In my opinion it is no accident that both flies also represent other prime flats tucker. Crab flies can easily resemble bi-valves and shrimp flies often look a bit wormy, with that long wing waving around.
And before anyone gets upset about the word “shrimp”, I use it collectively include swimming crustaceans such as prawns, mantis shrimp and others. Let’s get stuck into the characteristics that make a good crab or shrimp fly.
* Flies pictured in this article were tied by Peter Smith, Enrico Puglisi, Jon Makim and Geoff Volter.
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Size
I’m always amazed at how small some US crab patterns are. Merkins (and variants) are commonly fished in sizes #1, #2 and #4 for permit, redfish and other flats quarry. On our tropical flats I would carry sizes #1, #1/0 and #2/0. Most commonly you might pick a #1/0. This does of course depend on the hook, not all manufacturers’ sizes are consistent. Shrimp patterns are more likely to be on the smaller side, like #1. You can easily upsize US patterns in order to get the right size for our species. Jon Makim’s EP Merkins are a great example, tied in #1/0 or #2/0 they will tempt even the biggest flats targets. Pattern size also depends on conditions. In my experience in clear water a pattern needs to be more natural, imitative and often smaller. Picking size is always a difficult decision. Too small might not get seen, too big might spook. And then sometimes big gets the nod when fish are hungry, which they mostly are if the right food comes along.  Makim EP Merkin  Makin EP Merkin 2 Hooks
Hook choice is also personal but in my experience the best are heavy gauge like Gamakatsu SL12S, Mustad C70SD, Owner AKI. Pick a strong hook so it won’t open on a good fish. Even hooks on commercially tied flies suffer from this problem. The EP Permit Crab is a fantastic fly but the hooks are obviously not strong enough – see what a good size golden can do!  EP Permit Crab 2 Compare Geoff Volter’s Yabby Thing with a serious hook that will not bend out of shape. Bigger gauge hooks tend to give more weight and therefore sink better which is usually helpful on the flats.
 Geoff Volter's Yabby Thing |
Weight
On the flats I fish you need decent weight, whatever the form it takes: dumbbells, keels, beads etc. This applies to crab and shrimp. That fly has to get down quick and sink in a defensive posture. Geoff Volter’s Goldy Destroyer Crab is tied with enough weight to get down into the zone quickly, even against tide and current. Tied in a range of colours they are a great variation on the merkin.  Voltzy's Goldy Destroyer Crab  Voltzy's Goldy Destroyer Crab 2  Voltzy's Goldy Destroyer Crab 3 Weight does make casting more challenging but the results will flow. I see too many flies made for fish that tail that sit high in the water column. It isn’t where fish are looking for food. You can fish surface or midwater for flats fish but most of the targets are tailing, drifting or feeding in an inclined manner. Goldens, permit and bastards all feed with their eyes scanning the bottom and the zone directly above the bottom. If the fly doesn’t get seen, it doesn’t get eaten.
Colour
I like patterns that either are imitative or stand out. Local flats have crabs that have brown, rust, root beer, blue, olive and tan colours. Mix and match to copy the hatch. Likewise, shrimp can be transparent through to multi-coloured. Don’t be afraid to test a range of colours and mixes. I had 3 refusals on black/purple merkin before I stopped fishing that colour pattern. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it elsewhere but the message on my local flats was loud and clear. What fish see colourwise is largely academic but there are some obvious hints when you look at flats prey. They tend to blend with the surrounding strata. Starting there can’t hurt.  Smith SS Flies Merkin Contrast
Contrast is very important; use mixes of light and dark like brown/tan, rootbeer/olive, rust/white. One combination I like is three tone brown/tan/white. It really stands out from the bottom and can be fished on almost any strata. It is worth exploring blends and combinations to see what stands out. You subtly blend colours or have quite distinct bands – both will work. |
 EP Spawning Crab |
 EP Spawning Crab 2 |
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Movement
Movement is crucial on a good crab or shrimp fly. Whether it is the claws, legs, mouthparts. Whether you use rubber, hackle, zonker or marabou, they all give great movement to catch the eye. These elements can be used in crab, mantis shrimp and shrimp. The marabou shrimp is a good example of a classic pattern that really moves. These flies can be fished on a “do nothing” retrieve and still draw a bite.
Noise
Flats flies lend themselves to the use of rattles and beads to give that crustaceous click to the fly when underwater. All crustaceans are noisy bludgers and fish won’t be surprised to hear some clicking noises coming from your fly. It will probably attract their attention. The Avalon Permit Fly with its keel of clicking beads uses this technique to apparent good results. Noise is especially good when the water is dirty and you need to add triggers to the visual eat trigger. The EP Palmetto Crab is a good example of a rattling crab and in a dark colour it excels as a dirty water crab fly.  EP Palometta Crab |
Flash
Sometimes flash is good, other times it can be a real turn off. Naturalistic patterns like the St Alfonzo*(not pictured) don’t need flash to scream eat me. Others use a judicious amount of flash. The EP Spawning shrimp has a halo glow about it and uses small amounts of Krystal flash. Its flash comes from the fibres themselves. Others like the Redfish SP are bling to the max and will stand out well in dirty water. If I were to err on the side of caution I’d say less is definitely more on the flats. Some very good flies have no flash at all.
Artificial Ingredients
Artificial ingredients are often used to make flats flies: epoxy, clear cure glue, rubber legs, premade eyes and claws, stamped or cut out shells. Some of these components will get your flies looking like the real thing in no time. Jon Makim’s Ultimate shrimp are a deadly clear water fly and will get gobbled by all manner of flats fish.  Makim Ultimate Shrimp Olive  Makim Ultimate Shrimp Clear |
