In my opinion, there is no better tying material when twisting up a fly pattern than a piece of zonker (rabbit). The qualities of a zonker strip far exceed those of any other natural tying material. This is especially true when designing small patterns for saltwater use.
A zonker strip breathes and moves in the water like no other material; each hair appears to come alive once immersed! It is also considered the most durable of all the natural materials. The hide of a rabbit strip holds up even to toothy critters for extended periods. I have had patterns tied primarily with rabbit take over 10 bluefish before requiring a re-tie - and even then it was because the pattern's other materials (such as bucktail) were completely shredded.
Anytime I have an opportunity to design a pattern using rabbit, I'm extremely confident it will be a hit with the species I'm targeting. That is the kind of confidence no fly-angler should be without. Best of all, rabbit is extremely user-friendly and very easy to work with.
Beginnings of the Crabbit
Back in 2006 I was preparing to take a group of anglers to Casa Blanca in Mexico's Ascension Bay for a week of permit, tarpon, snook and bonefishing. Our group consisted of 22 folks, most of whom were seasoned anglers. Eleven were from my usual crew, which makes an annual fishing pilgrimage together, while the others signed up for the trip at our local fly shop, The Fish Hawk. Nearly everyone had their sights set on catching a permit, and prior to leaving, I suggested to my group of 11 to make sure they had plenty of flies tied with rabbit.
The lodge deems a half-dozen permit taken in a week by 22 anglers to be extremely good fishing. Yet by week's end, my crew of 11 had hooked 11 permit and landed seven! I even hooked two on the first two good casts I made into a small pod of fish. Perhaps not surprisingly, six of those 11 hookups came on a rabbit fly we dubbed the Crabbit.
The Crabbit not only accounted for permit but also a number of bonefish and a 20-pound tarpon that eventually shook off. The fly had totally eclipsed all expectations! Unfortunately, the 11 folks from the fly shop had not even hooked one permit all week, despite the fact that everyone had numerous shots at permit feeding either as singles or in both small and large groups.
A Versatile Pattern
Since that trip, the Crabbit has been used to take redfish from coastal Carolina to Florida's west coast. It has also gained a reputation taking striped bass along the New England and mid-Atlantic regions during the late spring and early-summer months, when the bass are found on the flats feeding on crabs.
The Crabbit is nothing more than a crab pattern tied using a piece of zonker. When trying to imitate a specific species of crab, all one needs to do is change colors and/or size. When fishing the flats of Ascension Bay, you'll want to use as light a color of fly as possible. White or cream on a #4 or #6 hook is the color of choice when tying Crabbits used for Mexican permit. If targeting redfish, a darker-colored fly on a #2 or #1 hook would be better served; either a light tan or even a rust-colored crab would be my color preference. Meanwhile, for anglers tossing crabs on northeastern flats for stripers in the spring and summer, a dark tan or brown pattern tied on a larger hook, such as a #2 to 1/0, makes for an ideal combination.
