One of my fly books has a formula for a Bead Chain Crab fly. Has anyone ever tied or fished one?? The crab is made from a hook, 6 links of bead chain and some of the "puffy paint" that was talked about in another link. You make a bed of thread on the hook, tie in the end links of the chain from the end bead of each end of the chain. The chain then forms a semi-circle. You then fill across the semi circle with thread to stabilize the chain, tie in silli legs for the crabs legs and then coat the thread area inside the chain with a greenish gray on top and white on the bottom with a bluish edge. Finished size would be about the size of half a Quarter, depending on the size hook and chain.

I'll tie one and try to post a picture.

I have made spoon flies that use the same principle, a wire frame with epoxy stretched across the wire in a thin membrane. They worked okay.

Looking forward to the photos. Have you fished it in fresh water at all?

Haven't fished it anywhere yet - haven't tied one yet either. Just wondering if anyone had and was it worth the time. I guess I will have to try it.

ya know that "shrinky-dink" stuff that is basically a bunch of colored plastic and kids melt it and make jewelry out of it? my wife has a bunch of that stuff around here somewhere. and i'm thinking this might be a terrific fly pattern candidate to try it on vs epoxy or puff paint.

Good Idea, where to get some shrinky dink - I have no kids that age.

Here is a link:

http://books.google.com/books?id=3v89YJq...rab&f=false