How to Make Fresh Water Shrimp Flies

Freshwater shrimp are an abundant and protein-rich food source in many rivers and lakes. The shrimp have a curved, segmented body and are very active swimmers in the water. Lakes and rivers with freshwater shrimp often produce large trout, bass and other fish that target the shrimp as a regular food source. The simple anatomy of the shrimp is reflected by simple flies with minimal materials and simple tying instructions. The color of the shrimp varies by water but cream, gray, olive and pink are common shrimp colors.

Things You'll Need

  • Vise
  • Scud hook #10 to 16
  • 6/0 thread
  • Saddle hackle fibers
  • 5x monofilament tippet
  • Scud back or clear plastic bag
  • Synthetic scud dubbing
  • Whip finish tool
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the hook in the vise and clamp the jaws. Begin wrapping the thread at the hook eye and work to the hook bend with subsequent wraps. This creates a thread base to grip the materials.

    • 2

      Cut seven hackle fibers from a saddle hackle feather and hold the tips on the hook bend. Make 10 thread wraps to secure the fibers as the antennae.

    • 3

      Cut a 1-foot section of 5x monofilament tippet from a spool. Hold the tippet on top of the hook with one end landing immediately above the hook eye. Wrap the thread over the tippet, beginning at the bend and ending at the eye.

    • 4

      Cut a 1/2 inch wide strip of clear scud back. A clear plastic bag also works for the back. Hold one end of the strip at the hook eye and wrap the thread from the eye to the bend, covering the plastic. Leave at least 6 inches of plastic extending past the bend of the hook.

    • 5

      Apply a streak of dubbing wax to the thread. Attach synthetic scud dubbing to the thread and twist the dubbing with your fingers to spin it on the thread. Wrap the dubbing around the hook shank beginning at the bend and ending at the eye. Create a thick, uniform body with the dubbing.

    • 6

      Pull the clear plastic over the back of the fly. Make 10 thread wraps to secure the plastic at the hook eye. Cut away the excess plastic with scissors.

    • 7

      Wrap the tippet around the body of the fly in an evenly spaced, diagonal pattern. Use tight wraps to apply pressure to the body and segmentation to the fly. Stop the tippet at the eye and make 10 thread wraps to secure it in place. Cut away the excess tippet with scissors.

    • 8

      Use a whip finish tool to tie 10 half hitch knots at the hook eye. Cut the thread flush to the hook shank to complete the fly.