Gumby Crab

How to Fly Fish a Gumby Crab for Redfish

Fly fishing a Gumby Crab for redfish involves understanding the behavior of redfish and presenting the fly in a way that mimics a natural crab moving across the flats or marsh bottom. Redfish are opportunistic feeders, often foraging for crabs in shallow waters, so the key is to make your presentation subtle yet enticing. Here’s how to do it:

1. Locate the Fish: Look for redfish in shallow flats, marshes, or near grass beds where crabs are common prey. Sight fishing is ideal saltwater fly fishing—watch for tailing fish, wakes, or mudding activity indicating feeding redfish.
2. Gear Setup: Use a 7- to 9-weight fly rod with a floating or intermediate line, depending on water depth (typically 1-3 feet for redfish). Pair it with a 9- to 12-foot leader tapered to 12-20 lb tippet for durability against their strong runs.
3. Casting: Position yourself quietly (often from a skiff or by wading) and cast the Gumby Crab 2-5 feet ahead of a cruising or tailing redfish. Aim for accuracy over distance—redfish spook easily in skinny water. Let the fly sink to the bottom naturally, as the Gumby Crab is typically weighted to ride hook-up and imitate a crab scurrying along the substrate.
4. Retrieve: Once the fly hits the bottom, use short, slow strips (1-3 inches) with pauses in between to mimic a crab’s natural movement. Redfish often strike when the fly pauses, as it looks vulnerable. Watch your line or leader for subtle twitches—a redfish may inhale the fly without much surface disturbance.
5. Set the Hook: When you feel a take, resist the urge to trout-set (lifting the rod). Instead, strip-set by pulling the line firmly with your stripping hand to drive the hook home. Redfish have tough mouths, so a solid set is crucial.
6. Fight the Fish: Once hooked, let the redfish run while keeping steady pressure. They’re strong fighters, often heading for cover, so be prepared to clear your line and steer them away from grass or structure.

Tips: Fish the Gumby Crab during moving tides when redfish are actively feeding. Match the fly color to local crabs—tan, olive, or brown are common choices. If the water is murky, exaggerate the strips slightly to create more vibration.

How to Tie a Gumby Crab

The Gumby Crab is a versatile, durable fly designed to imitate small crabs, a staple in the redfish diet. It’s relatively simple to tie, with a focus on a realistic profile and movement in the water. Below is a step-by-step guide based on common crab fly tying principles, as the exact “Gumby Crab” recipe isn’t widely standardized but aligns with patterns like the Flexo Crab or similar designs.

Materials:

• Hook: Saltwater hook, size 1 to 4 Partridge Hook turned up for hook-up riding.
• Thread: 6/0 or 3/0 waxed in a Semperfli color matching the body (tan, olive, or brown).
• Weight: Small to medium lead or tungsten dumbbell eyes (for sinking and to keel the fly hook-up).
• Body: Furry foam, craft fur, or EP fibers in tan, olive, or brown.
• Legs: Silicone or rubber legs (tan, brown, or orange-tipped).
• Claws: Rabbit zonker strips, marabou, or knotted rubber legs.
• Adhesive: Semperfli Thin UV resin or superglue for durability.
• Optional: Permanent markers for coloring (e.g., brown or olive for shell markings).

Tying Steps:

1. Prep the Hook: Secure the hook in the vise with the point up (for a hook-up riding fly). Start the thread at the eye and wrap back to the bend.
2. Add Weight: Tie in the dumbbell eyes about one-third back from the hook eye using figure-eight wraps. This keeps the fly balanced and ensures it lands hook-up on the bottom. Secure with a few extra wraps and a drop of superglue.
3. Form the Body Base: Tie in a small clump of craft fur or EP fibers at the bend, extending past the hook to form a tail or underbody. Keep it sparse to avoid bulk. Wrap the thread forward to just behind the eyes.
4. Add Legs: Cut four to six rubber legs (about 1-2 inches long). Tie two or three on each side of the hook shank, just behind the eyes, using figure-eight wraps around the dumbbell eyes to splay them outward like crab legs. Trim to length later if needed.
5. Create the Shell: Cut a strip of furry foam (or use a pre-cut crab body if available) roughly the width of the hook gap and twice the shank length. Tie it in behind the eyes, extending over the back of the fly toward the bend. Fold it forward over the eyes and secure it just in front of the eyes, creating a crab-like carapace. Trim excess foam to shape a rounded or oval shell.
6. Add Claws: Tie in a small piece of rabbit zonker strip or marabou on each side of the body, just behind the eyes, to mimic crab claws. Alternatively, knot a piece of rubber leg material and melt the tips with a lighter for a more durable claw effect. Secure tightly.
7. Finish the Fly: Build a small thread head in front of the eyes, covering any exposed materials. Whip finish and apply a thin layer of UV resin over the thread wraps and shell for durability. Cure with a UV light. Use a marker to add realistic crab markings (e.g., spots or lines) on the foam shell.
8. Final Touches: Trim the legs and claws to proportionate lengths (about 1-1.5 inches), ensuring they move freely in the water.

Notes:

• Adjust the weight of the eyes based on water depth—lighter for skinny water, heavier for deeper flats.
• The Gumby Crab’s simplicity and flexibility allow for customization. Experiment with colors (tan for sandy bottoms, olive for grassy areas) to match your local conditions.

This fly sinks slowly, lands softly, and mimics a crab’s defensive posture, making it irresistible to redfish. Tie a few, hit the flats, and enjoy the tug!