Simple Shrimp Step By Step
This is a great shrimp pattern that does not take long to tie. Unless you are shooting video and hit a rough patch in your thread, a squirrel jumps into the frame, you are fighting sneezing, and you don’t grab enough dubbing for your loop. This pattern is pretty simple, and the Cutthroat love it. Our previous blog about the importance of fishing shrimp patterns instantly got a lot of feed back, so we thought we would add a step by step.
Tiers Notes:
To get started, this pattern utilizes a couple techniques that are worth pointing out:
- First, the base of the tail has UV Estaz wrapped a couple of times around the shank. This technique keeps the tail propped up and eliminates the craft fur from fouling around the bend of the hook.
- Second, the tail is a blend of different craft furs. This blending of the craft fur gives a deep 3D look and adds some realism to the fly.
- Last, I want to point out to those new to tying with EP or Mono eyes is tying them ontop of another material and bending or creasing the mono outwards. If you tie EP eyes straight to the shank you will never see the eyes. However, if you tie them overtop of another material, it forces them outwards. Add a little crease to the tie in spot, and the eyes will stick out to the sides.
Recipe:
Hook- Ahrex NS156 Traditional Shrimp #6
Bead- Gold fit to hook
Thread- Ultra Thread 70 Orange (old spool from under the dresser)
Prop/Base- UV Estaz White
Tail- Craft Fur Blend- White, Pink, Yellow
Over Wing- Senyo Predator Wrap- Pink
Feelers- White sparkly Sili Legs
Eyes – EP Eyes Amber Small
Shell- Krystal Flash- Rootbeer
Dubbing- Senyo Fusion Dub- Emerald, Ice Dub UV-Shrimp Pink
Quick Step By Step:
1.) Add Bead to the Hook and start thread. Wrap back to bend of hook.
2.) Tie in UV Estaz and wrap 2-3 times tightly to give base to the tail.
3.) Tie in blend of Craft Fur right against the last wrap of Estaz to create your tail.
4.) Tie in Rubber legs. Fold in half and tie in 3/4 towards the tail and the last 1/4 in a loop towards the eye. Tie in then fold loop forward, secure with a few wraps, cut.
5.)Add over wing of UV Predator wrap over the Craft Fur and Rubber Legs
6.) Tie in EP eyes ontop of the rubberlegs and tail. secure well and then crimp the eyes against the first thread wrap.
7.) Tie in Krystal flash in the middle and fold back towards tail. We will come back to this at the end.
8.) Make a dubbing loop long enough to wrap to the eye.
9.) Spin up your dubbing blend and wrap to the bead, tie off and trim up.
10.) Fold 3/4 of the krystal flash tightly over the dubbing and tie in right behind the bead.
11.) Whip finish and glue.
Full disclosure, I have no idea what I did to make this video, but the music is obnoxious and it cuts the whip finish out of the video. The completed fly is at the top of the page.