Tight Lines Fly Fishing: Paul's January 2024 Fly of the Month

Peterson's Spawning Shrimp

Hook: Tiemco 811s in size #4 & #6 or hook of choice.

Thread: Shell Pink UTC 140 denier.

Eyes: Medium Silver Brass Eyes or bead chain eyes.

Eyes 2: Black Crab Shrimp Monofilament Eyes.

Mouth: Orange McFlylon or Glo Bug Yarn.

Mouth 2: Cream Antron or Cream EP Fiber.

Flash: Pearl Krystal Flash

Legs: Bonefish Tan Barred Speckled Crazy Legs or Loco Legs.

Antennae: 2 Strands of Black Krystal Flash.

Body: Flad Diamond Braid (I use Bill’s Body Braid).

Body 2: 3 Clumps of Tan Rabbit (from a Zonker Strip), 2 behind the eyes & 1 in front.

Cement: Brush On Zap a Gap

*I had to think for a bit before posting this fly as the Fly of the Month. In all the years I’ve been doing it, every fly that has appeared was fished on the upper or lower Housatonic and was very successful. I’ve used this shrimp pattern on the lower Housatonic and caught a few stripers, but only with limited success. So why post it? Well, if you’re a Saltwater Fly Guy and you fish further to the east in RI, or on the sandy flats of the Cape, THIS FLY IS A KILLER! Also, if you fish Florida, Mexico, or for me Puerto Rico, or other southern destinations, it’s a magic fly. It catches bones, permit, and tarpon. It’s a top 5 fly for those species.

This is just a great all round saltwater fly that can catch a variety of fish. It’s a great fly for stripers here in New England, and a magic fly for bonefish, permit, and tarpon.

To tie this fly place your hook in the vice and secure your silver brass eyes with crossing wrap,s. Locate them 2 eye lengths behind the eyes. Apply some UV Resin or head cement. Make touching wraps with your thread along the hook shank and bring them back up behind the eyes. Next, affix your Orange McFlylon. Tie it on top of the shank of the hook and wrap down to the bend. Tim the McFlylon so that it extends a little less than a hook shank length beyond the bend. Also trim off the butt end and take wraps along the hook shank to even out the body area. Mix a few strands of Pearl Krystal flash with Cream Antron/EP Fibers. Take a ‘half pencil’ of this and lash it on top of the shank and Orange Yarn. It should extend approximately 2 shank lengths beyond the bend. Trim the tip with tapered cuts, then cut off the butt.

You are now going to add the Black Krystal Flash Antennae to the sides of the hook shank. Affix 1 strand on each side, tied behind the eyes and wrapped down to the bend. They should extend beyond the Antron or EP fly top. Next, tie in your Monofilament eyes. They should slightly splay outward. Tie them in along the side of the body. Tie them in so that they are approximately a little less than a hook shank length beyond the bend. Apply some UV Resin or cement for durability. Trim off the tag ends.

Next, tie in your Crazy or Loco Legs along the sides of the hook shank. 2 legs per side. Tie them in behind the eyes and wrapping down to the bend. They should extend approximately the length of the Antron/EP fibers. The next step is to tie in some Pearl Flat Diamond Braid. Tie it in behind the eyes and wrap down to the bend. Bring your thread back up a little more than half the length of the hook shank. Wrap the diamond braid forward to the thread, tie it off but don’t cut off the butt end. You want to tie down the butt end so that it is folded back along the body.

Invert your fly so that the hook point is ‘up’. Tie in your first small clump of Rabbit. It should extend to the bend of the hook. Trim off and clean up the butt end. Extend your thread behind the eyes and tie in a second Rabbit Clump. Now bring your thread in front of the eyes and tie in a third Rabbit Clump. Now take the Flat Diamond Braid that you had folded back and bring it forward over the eye. Tie it down and cut off the butt end. Create a tapered fly nose, whip finish, then apply cement to your wraps and Flat Diamond Braid.

Intheriffle has a great video on how to tie this fly below: