Half crab, half Clouser, the Crouser has become a staple for targeting Striped Bass in New England. Especially early and late season, this pattern seems to produce bites that previous Clouser or crab flies will not. This pattern which I consider something of a “creature bait” can mimic a wide array of forage found on the coast of New England. Could be a crab, could be a minnow, could be a shrimp, could be a crab eating a minnow, or a bait fish eating a shrimp. Maybe a lobster or mummichog? The great thing is it could be any, and odds are this is one of the reasons that the Crouser is so effective in so many different situations. This pattern was designed to drag directly on sand or mud bottom using a sink tip fly line, however has proven equally effective on intermediate or floating fly lines. Smaller sizes have become quite popular for anglers targeting bonefish and permit in tropical environments as well.
