Bodkin / Patterns

Peterson's Spawning Shrimp

Shrimp · Bonefish · Redfish · Sea Trout · Snook · Permit · Advanced · 2 versions

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Gamakatsu SL45 or Tiemco 811S, 2-8
  • Thread Tan UTC 140

Materials

  • Eyes (weight) Gold bead chain or small lead dumbbell (1 pair)
  • Antennae Root beer Krystal Flash (4-6 strands)
  • Shrimp eyes Black mono eyes (1 pair)
  • Mouthparts Tan craft fur or arctic fox (1 small clump)
  • Egg sac Orange Sili Legs or orange dubbing ball (1 loop or ball)
  • Body Tan Antron or shrimp dubbing (sparse rope)
  • Legs Speckled tan Sili Legs (2-3 pairs)
  • Wing/back Tan craft fur (1 clump)

How to tie it

  1. Lash bead-chain or dumbbell eyes on top of the shank at the 75% mark with figure-eights so the fly rides point-up.
  2. At the bend, tie in a clump of tan craft fur mouthparts one shank length long, the mono shrimp eyes splayed on either side, and 4-6 strands of root beer Krystal Flash as antennae extending 1.5 shank lengths.
  3. Tie in a loop of orange Sili Leg (or dub a small orange ball) right at the bend under the shank. This is the egg sac, the visual trigger that says 'spawning shrimp' to a bonefish.
  4. Dub a tapered body of tan shrimp dubbing forward, tying in a pair of speckled Sili Legs along each side at the one-third and two-thirds points as you go.
  5. Stop behind the weighted eyes, figure-eight dubbing around them, and finish the body just ahead of them.
  6. Tie in a tan craft fur wing on the hook-point side, extending back to the egg sac, then whip finish and cement.
  7. Trim the legs so they extend just past the body sides. Even leg length keeps the fly tracking straight.

Other versions

1 more in the app: Fischer's Flies.

Tying videos

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