Fly Tying Workshop – June 16th

Please join us at our regular fly tying workshop held on the third Thursday of each month from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. We meet at the Port Royal Sound Foundation classroom located at 310 Okatie Hwy, Okatie on the banks of the Chechessee River.  Please make a note to check our Event Calendar periodically for information on the monthly fly tying workshops and other upcoming club sponsored events.

The fly pattern for June will be Del Brown’s Merkin Crab:

Del Brown (1918-2003) was known as the king of Permit fishing with over 500 Permit caught in his lifetime — a feat that will probably never be matched. It was a special fly, the Merkin crab, that Del developed and perfected that led to his success at catching one of the most elusive flats species. Crabs will migrate from one area to another by swimming near the surface using the tides and wind to propel them. This fly mimics a small or juvenile crab trying to escape by swimming to the bottom when predatory fish approaches. It is the crab swimming to the bottom that Permit key on. What makes this fly so special is the way it ‘swims’ to the bottom. A crab folds up its claws and non- swimming legs and swims sideways with its two swimming legs — the legs on the back of the crab. Because of the shape of a crab and the way the swimming legs move, a crab cannot swim straight down to avoid a predator — they swim to the bottom at an angle. The lead eyes, shape of the fly, and rubber band legs all combine to make this Merkin crab look like a small or juvenile crab as it swims at an angle to the bottom. Crabs, such as a juvenile blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), are a favorite food of many species besides Permit including Red Drum (redfish), Black Drum, speckled seatrout and Sheepshead. This pattern can be tied with different color yarn and rubber bands to mimic several different species of crabs. The pattern described below uses the traditional colors tied by Del Brown.

MATERIALS LIST:

Hook – Tiemco 811S size 4 or equivalent
Dumbbell eyes — medium silver or grey ( adjust size for sink rate)
Thread – Danville 3/0 thread or equivalent — fluorescent green
Tail – Krystal Flash and 2 brown hackle feathers
Body – Light brown, tan, or multi-colored yarn (the color of the yarn should vary depending on the species of crab but should be muted earth tones of brown, tan, gold, green or gray). Original material for the body is Aunt Lydia rug yarn 🧶 in tan and brown.
Legs – White round rubber band legs marked with Red marker

Tiers of all levels are welcome from beginner to expert!  Registration is not required and there is no fee to participate in the workshop.

Questions? Contact Ken at 610-999-9897