The crouser has fast become one of the most popular flies for targeting striped bass here on the New England coast. This pattern was developed by local fly angler and current shop employee Joe Webster. The crouser is a crab + clouser hybrid and produces great results in a variety of scenarios.
What makes this such a great fly is its versatility in that it will work in scenarios where fish are selective towards crab, shrimp or small baitfish. In any of these situations the crouser will produce results. Originally this fly was designed to fish directly on the bottom with a sink tip fly line but also works well on a floating or intermediate line, especially when the bass are more interested in shrimp and baitfish vs. crabs. The olive/light olive color was the original and to this day still the most popular and all around productive color scheme, however darker colors have been found to work especially well in stained water or low light hours and the lighter tones have become extremely popular on some of the bigger flats south of us here in Maine. On top of being an extremely productive fly pattern for striped bass, tropical flats fisherman have taken a liking to this pattern in smaller sizes for bonefish and permit. This is a must have for any fly angler targeting striped bass on the New England coast.
Materials List: (click for product page)
- Large Northern Bucktail
- Painted Lead Eyes
- Gamakatsu SL12S Saltwater Hook
- Krystal Flash
- Rabbit Dubbing
- Veeus 140 Power Thread
- Zap a Gap
- Solarez UV Resin (Thin)
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