Borski’s Chernobyl Crab
Hook –Mustad #34007, or Tiemco 811S, size to match natural.
Thread – White flat waxed nylon.
Tail – White calf tail; Pearl krystal flash (I like using orange too); two grizzly hackles; and a clump of deer hair flared outward.
Body: Spun deer hair, ribbed with a webby grizzly (or cree or badger) neck
hackle palmered forward to the eyes.
Eyes – Dumbbell eyes (original pattern calls for black & yellow eyes).
Crab Patterns can be extremely effective at times but I never see many people fishing them. This is one of the best crab patterns I know. It’s so
buggy looking I don’t think fish can ignore it. Fish it slowly and with small twitching motions. Don’t forget to dead drift it too. I love fishing them
when the water is a little turbid and the tide isn’t moving all that fast.
Begin by inverting the hook in your vice. At the bend tie in some tan calf tail (many substitute other materials such as marabou or artificial fibers). Add the krystal flash. Tie in two grizzly hackles for your tail. They should splay outward. Secure a clump of deer hair on both sides of the tail without spinning it. Allow it to flare outward. Tie in a wide, webby grizzly or cree hackle in front of the dear hair. Leave it for now. It will be palmered forward later. Add more deer hair, spinning it this time to form a thick body ending almost at the eye of the hook. Trim the deer hair flat on the bottom and top using a razor blade. Trim it to form a crab shape. Palmer the webby hackle forward. Tie it off and trim it on the bottom. Attach lead eyes just before the eye of the hook. Tie off fly and apply head cement.