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Shrimp Fly

I have been tying this fly so long that I don't know who first showed it to me, or just how much of it is original. I know that the materials list has changed allot from the first ones I tied. I have tied the fly on hook sizes ranging from size 12 to 2, on bent long shank hooks, but wide gap or Kale hooks work great. (The picture is on a #6 Kale hook.)  
 

LIST OF MATERIALS: (in the general order that they are applied to the hook.)  
Lead wire (wrap approx. ½ of the hook shank, and push it back to allow for the head)  
Silver wire (long enough to wrap to the head)  
Plastic bag (a football shaped piece of plastic sandwich bag that is cut 1.5 times the hook length)  
Feather (to be plamered to the head)  
Ice Chenille (this is the stuff that makes the bottom of the fly busy, and provides the body color)  
Marabou back rib (this is the only thing tied into the front and worked towards the back)  
 
INSTRUCTIONS:  
Wrap approx. ½ or the hook shank with lead wire. Position the lead about midway back on the hook shank. Everything gets tied back in at the front, so leave plenty of head space. Start the thread just before the hook bend (behind the lead wire). Tie in the silver wire, and leave it extended toward the back of the fly. Tie in one end of the football shaped plastic, and leave it extended toward the back of the fly. Tie in the feather by the tip and extended toward the back of the fly. Tie in the chenille. Wrap the thread forward to the head location. Wrap the chenille forward, and tie it off and trim. Palmer the feather forward, tie it off and trim. If you want a contrasting back rib, tie in 5 or 6 marabou fibers at the front, and lay them down into the palmered feather, past the back and extending to the side of the plastic. Fold the plastic up over the top to the front, position it equally on both sides, tie it off and trim the front. Wrap the silver wire to the front, creating the body segments, tie off and trim. Whip finish and cement the head.  



Uploaded: 2/21/2004
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