This is a pattern that was originally tied unweighted with the hook point down and a weed guard for tailing fish in very shallow water. I wanted one that would ride point up with the standard bc eyes for regular depth water. The fly would probably make a great small crayfish imitation as well, maybe tied a little darker.
Hook- daiichi x452
Thread- uni 6/0 white
Tail/carapace- natural frizz fiber
Claws- barred ginger saddle hackles
Antenna- orange k-flash
Eyes- gold bc
Hackle- barred ginger/cree
Bands- pantone brown marker
Start the thread behind the hook eye, tie in a sparse clump of frizz fiber and wind back to just past the bend. Make a small thread bump to aid in positioning the claws.
Figure eight wrap the trimmed hackle stems to get them to splay to the sides. Remember to tie them in upside down as the hook will ride point up. Note the trimmed hackle claw and figure eight dividing in the second photo.
Tie in two strands of k-flash for the antenna so that they sit above the claws in the finished fly. Tie in another clump of frizz fiber about three times the size of the first and wrap back to the bend, this will be the back/carapace.
Figure eight wrap a pair of bc eyes on top of the hook and tie in a barred ginger or cree hackle. I thought one with a dark stem may add to the banding/segmentation of the natural.
Coat the body of the fly generously with head cement before winding the hackle forward to help strengthen it when fished. Trim off the hackle barbs on the inside of the hook to make a flat space to pull forward the frizz fiber carapace.
Tie down the carapace and trim it off with a tail sticking out past the eye of the hook by two eye lengths. Whip finish and apply head cement. Note that the fly is tied with a rotary vise or by turning the hook over to finish the carapace tie off.
Coat the back of fly (carapace) with cement. I use a fairly thick consistency hard as nails nail polish. Use a fine brown pantone marker to add the bands to the back when the cement is good and dry.
first off i tie flies but i don't fish saltwater. here's what i know about the fly, the original version worked around aklins which i believe has a light colored sand botom. they were also tied in olive for fishing weedy areas where the shrimp are apparently olivey. the natural was a light tan with brown bands in the one photo i was able to find of a banded snapping shrimp.
I am a fly tyer, i tie flies commercialy and when someone wants bonefish flies that's what i tie. i have made a commitment to photograph step by steps of the new patterns i do and thought as a public service and as a favor to my friend i would post them here. i am a trout and steelhead fisherman mainly and come to saltwater tying with matching the hatch in mind. i had a sample of someone's shrimp pattern, found a photo of said shrimp and set about to redesign it to ride hook point up. it's all bait to me, midges to musky flies, whatever keeps the lights on.
Way to go man. All my respect and thanks for this great pattern, in fact I will try it tomorrow.
That's what I am talking about when I think sharing knowledge and experiences for the good of all...and the man is not even fishing saltwater.:whoa:
A good lesson for those who still think secrets are meant to be kept so they can look better then the ''other guys''.
The more we share, the more people will have an easy task becoming flyfishermen and better environment advocates.
RESPECT TO THE MAN !!!!
Jean Marc
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