Merkin Crab

This is not my pattern, I have been tying a bunch of these for my trip to florida so I thought I would share. I have never fished this pattern but everyone else seems to love this pattern as a crab pattern. This can be tied in any color the crabs are.

Hook: any size saltwater hook (this is size 1)
Thread: flat waxed ultra thread.
Materials: marabou, grizzly marabou, EP fibers, sili legs, mono eyes.
Tools: vise, scissors, bobbin, whip finish tool.

Step 1: make a base layer of thread and wrap the thread t the rear of the fly.

Step 2: on one side of the fly tie in a grizzly marabou feather. Once it's tied in,  tie in a marabou feather on top of the hook shank. (for this feather, use what ever color you are going to tie the body in).

Step 3: on the other side of the fly tie in another grizzly marabou feather.

Step 4: tie in  pair of mono eyes in the front of the fly. wrap the thread to the rear of the hook shank and by making figure-8's tie in a pinch of EP fibers that are about 2" long. 

Step 5: after the first pinch of EP fibers are tied in, tie in 4 sili legs and then tie in another pinch of EP fibers farther up the hook shank in front of the first pinch.

Step 6: Tie in a third pinch and after the third pinch is secured, tie in4 more sili legs and then continue to tie in pinches of EP fibers farther up the hook shank until you reach the mono eyes.

Step 7: once at the mono eyes, whip finish. (this is what the fly should look like at this point from above).

Step 8: using scissors clip one side into a half circle like above.

Step 9: repeat step 8 on the other side. apply head cement down the entire middle of the fly where the thread is showing.