Merkin Permit Crab

The Merkin Permit Crab is the classic permit crab fly, created by the late Del Brown and widely credited with catching more fly-caught permit than any other pattern. It is not a perfect copy of a crab, but it behaves like one: the dumbbell eyes make it drop to the bottom just as a real crab does, and permit often take it as it sinks. The soft Furry Foam body, barred rubber legs and soft tail keep moving even when the fly is still on the bottom.

Materials

• Tail: tan and ginger feathers
• Body: Furry Foam, cut into a flat crab-shaped shell
• Legs: barred rubber legs
• Eyes: dumbbell eyes, so the fly sinks quickly and rides hook point up
• Thread: chartreuse

Colours available: Tan.

How to fish it: cast it ahead of tailing or cruising fish so it settles in their path, then use short, slow strips and let it drop back to the bottom, like a crab trying to escape. Effective for permit, bonefish, redfish and other fish that feed on crabs on the flats.