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The Grass Shrimp is common to saltwater estuaries and is an important
bait for striped bass, bluefish, weakfish as well as other species
in warmer southern waters. It is semi-translucent and tan in appearance
with an average size of 1 to 3 inches long.
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There are many good shrimp patterns
available today such as Bob Popovics' Ultra Shrimp which is realistic,
easy to tie and productive. This segmented shrimp I designed a few
winters ago has a different twist and will take more time to tie
than some other patterns. At the time I was admiring some pictures
of trout patterns that were tied to imitate specific details of
insects and decided to attempt a similar realistic design for a
saltwater pattern. The shrimp, which has some insect-like features,
appeared to be a good candidate. This segmented pattern imitates
quite well the lip plates, carapace and tail of this crustacean.
The long antennae made from goose quills even has the concentric
rings seen on the antennae of the natural shrimp. Nymph or drift
the pattern as you would any shrimp pattern.
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Materials
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Hook
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Mustad 34011 #1/0 |
| Tying Thread |
larva lace fine monofilament |
| Lip Plates |
clear plastic straw (cut and shaped) |
| Front Legs |
Light deer hair (polar bear (if available)
or elk hair); 2 goose biots (white or olive) |
| Long Antennae |
goose quill |
| Short Antennae |
moose mane |
| Abdomen |
pearl Bill’s bodi-braid overlaid with
20 strands of tan Super hair; Overwrapped with tan and clear Scud (rubber
strips used to tie nymphs); Clear plastic straw cut into multiple sections
and shaped |
| Carapace |
clear plastic straw cut into shape |
| Swimming Legs |
grizzly hackle |
| Tail |
pearl body braid; tan super hair; Clear
plastic straw cut into multiple sections and shaped |
| Eyes |
30 lb monofilament - cut and burned on both
ends |
Tying Instructions
Note: Apply head cement or super
glue between steps 1-6
1. Wrap thread
to bend of hook.
2. Tie
in lip plates at a slightly downward angle. (side of hook shank)
3. Tie
in long antennae (goose quill) (top of hook shank).
4. Tie
in eyes (single piece of monofilament burned on each end and tied
in bar-bell style using figure 8 wraps). Eyes should be tied in
approx. even with the hook point.
5. Tie
in moose mane (4 strands) as short antennae (top of hook shank).
6. Tie
in front legs (2 goose biots angled under lip plates, one on each
side - followed by polar bear) - all tied on bottom of hook shank.
7. Tie
in Bill's bodi-braid starting at wraps for polar bear and wrap down
shank to hook eye. Extend braid on each end - past hook eye and
forward between eyes. The strands of braid can be unraveled using
the tip of the bodkin.
8. Starting
at hook eye tie in tan super hair (approx. 20 strands) and wrap
super hair down to front legs. Make sure super hair extends past
hook-eye and between eyes at head.
9. Tie
in same amount of super hair over front section of body. Wrap the
super hair towards hook-eye- fold over at mid shank and wrap back
towards head. This builds up body to resemble shrimp shape.
10. Overwrap
shrimp body starting at hook eye with tan Scud to front legs, back
over 2nd layer of super hair, back to front legs and back down to
hook eye.
11. Tie
in tail pieces of clear straw. (3 total) Trim the super hair and
bodi-braid so that it ends at tips of tail.
12. Overwrap
body with clear Scud.
13. Make the swimming
legs by semi-palmering grizzly hackle. Tie-in the butt section of
feather so that legs taper from larger to smaller. Each wrap of
hackle should be spaced to create small intervals of space between
legs.
14. Cut,
shape and tie in shell segments starting at hook eye (segments will
have almost a tear-dropped shape). There will be 4 shell segments.
As you work your way up the body wrap and work the thread between
the hackle.
15. Cut
and shape the carapace so that it almost totally surrounds shrimp
body and comes to a point extending past shrimp eyes. Trim super
hair so that it is under the front carapace and point.
16. Whip
finish and coat thread with hard-as-nails on bottom of hook shank.
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