Puglisi Crab

The Puglisi Crab, developed by Enrico Puglisi, is a premier saltwater pattern imitating small crabs for bonefish, permit, and redfish. Its EP fiber body becomes translucent when wet, perfectly replicating the appearance of a live crab swimming off the flat.

Type

wet fly (Saltwater)

Hook sizes

#1–#4 saltwater

Target species

saltwater

Difficulty

advanced

Best seasons

spring, summer, fall

Materials

• hook: Gamakatsu SL12S or equivalent saltwater hook #1–#4
• thread: UTC 140 tan or olive
• eyes: Small bead-chain or mono dumbbell eyes
• body: EP Fibers or craft fur in tan, olive, or mottled brown
• legs: Silicone leg material, 4–6 legs total
• head: UV fly finish to lock in mono eyes

Tying steps

1. Mount a size 1–4 saltwater hook in the vise hook-point-up; start tan or olive UTC 140 thread at the bend.
2. Tie in two small bead-chain or mono dumbbell eyes at the 1/4 point from the hook eye using firm figure-eight wraps; apply a drop of CA glue to lock them.
3. Tie in a small clump of tan or olive EP Fibers or craft fur at the hook bend to form the tail — extend fibers 1 inch beyond the bend.
4. Lash a wide flat clump of EP Fibers or craft fur flat over the hook shank, spreading fibers outward on all sides to imitate the crab carapace.
5. Tie in silicone or rubber leg material on each side — 2–3 legs per side, angled at 45 degrees to simulate walking legs.
6. Build the body by layering a second clump of EP Fibers over the first, securing both layers tightly with cross-wraps at the center.
7. Trim the entire body with sharp scissors into a rounded oval shape approximately 0.75 inches in diameter when viewed from above.
8. Apply Loon UV Fly Finish to the thread head behind the eyes and cure under UV light for 30 seconds.
9. Inspect the fly from above — it should have a symmetrical oval footprint with legs radiating evenly from the body sides.
10. Wet the fly briefly to confirm the EP fiber body becomes translucent, confirming the correct crab-like underwater appearance.