So the obvious question regarding the fly is: What makes it sogood? How can theaddition of a claw tied up the hook shankbe that important? When were talking aboutwhat a fly does onthe shelf, its not much. It looks cool, which is helpful, and itsdifferentthan the realistic flies that we used to throw. Its notthe only fly with a claw, but as far asweve been able to tell itsthe only one that has just a single claw. One thing this does ispresent the same profile on either sideunlike some realisticflies meant to mimic aswimming crab that look crab-like onlyfrom the claw sidesomething that has alwaysbeen anathemato me. This fly looks the same from either side.

Whereas a trout is at the mercy of metabolic math in movingwater, a permit will likely eat anything it considers to be food asit travels along the flat. A Strong Arm Merkin can appear to be acrab, a shrimp, a baby lobsteryou get the idea. Add to that thefact that it can be fished shallow without hiding in grass ordeep if left to drop, stripped or left to lie, and the force behindSkoks invention comes into focus: Its the best blade for theunknown number of unpredictable knife fights a day of permitfishing might bring. What makes it such a great fly is not how itlooks but how it acts, not what it imitates but how many thingsit could appear to be.

Nathaniel Linville, The Angling Company
(originally featured in Fly Fisherman Magazine)