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Matt Burke's Shrimpzoid, Page 1 |
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Since man first started imitated living things on a hook, we have been trying to imitate shrimp. It has been a on going struggle for hundreds of years, but we have succeeded in some rights, like the "general practioner" and the "squamish poacher". But then Matts' epiphany happened and below you find Matt's written instructions to probably the most realistic shrimp pattern of our time. The best part is the amount of naturals still used, with only small amounts of flash and latex, where so many fly tiers are stepping into the world of synthetics. The below was written by Matt Burke 01-24-2005 on WashingtonFlyFishing.com I start with two EC 413 hooks. Right now I am using 1/0 but will be going smaller for summer run Steelhead and Coho in the Sound this spring. The first one I cut at the halfway point on the straight part of the shank and throw away the eye (photo 1). The second I straighten the bend a bit and cut off the hook and barb and throw away (photo 2 & 3).
I take a flat file and rough up the shank so that the curved tail and stinger have something to hold onto and then file down the cuts so they are round. If you don’t, they will cut your thread as you apply material (photo 4 & 5).
I start off with Kevlar thread and super glue. Tie the curved tail shank in to the straight shank with an X pattern, layering the super glue and thread (photo 6, 7 & 8).
Wrap forward and tie in the point with more layers of thread and super glue (photo 9 & 10).
I cut a piece of rabbit for the stinger. The hide of the straight cut rabbit should be the length of the straight shank. I thread 50 pound gel spun through a needle and run it through the hide in a weave with the loop coming out on the hair side a quarter inch from the end (photo 11, 12 & 13).
I loop a Gamakatsu Octopus hook with the hook point up as it would ride in the water. (1/0 pictured here but you would go smaller for 5 to 10 lb. Fish) (photo 14 & 15).
Run the hook point through the last quarter inch of hide and let it rest hook point up. Pull the gel spun up tight and parallel with the hide (photo 16 & 17).
Now this next step you may elect to avoid, but I ride this fly deep and once I’m on the bottom I change the tip to bring it up just off the rocks. I find that tying the hook into the hide with the point up keeps me from hanging up 95% of the time. If you don’t tie it in, the hook will turn and you have to keep adjusting it in the hide. Using a smaller needle, I thread up some Kevlar thread then up through the hide and through the eye and back down through the hide (not through the eye the second time) on the left side. One more time coming out the eye and back through the hide on the right side. You should end up with both threads coming out the hairless side. Square knot that off and just a dab of super glue will keep it in place (photo 18, 19 & 20).
The eyes are done on 50 lb. Mono. I take a lighter and heat the end so that I get just a big enough ball that the bead wont come off. Mix up some epoxy and then dip the bead end (not the bead) into it. Slide the bead end down to the little ball. The excess glue will hang like a little drop off the ball of mono. Just a quick swipe on a paper towel will get rid of it. I don’t care about excess on the mono. I put duct tape sticky side out on the edge of a table. As each eye is done, I stick the mono to the tape and let hang dry (photo 22, 23 & 24).
I wrap .030 lead 15 times (this is what gets it down and ride the right way. I will be using less and thinner lead for smaller flies for the summer) around the curved tail that hangs down and wrap with Kevlar thread. The little hump I wrap too with just Kevlar thread so that material has something to hang on to, otherwise material will slip off the hump. Then I coat it all with Softex (photo 25).
Using more Kevlar thread, I tie in the rabbit stinger. The gel spun will run along the top and wrap with Kevlar and super glue. Fold back the gel spun and wrap with Kevlar and super glue. Then rewrap the whole section covering gel spun and super glue (photo 26,27 & 28).
Continuing with Kevlar thread and super glue, I tie in the mono eyes on the sides. Beads should come right about where the eye of the stinger is (photo 29). I think most fish are tail biters when they are just aggravated with an intruder. That may be why leech patterns work with a stinger hook so well. When they are really aggressive they will go for the head of the fly. I’m not sure, but they more than likely use the eyes as a focal point. With this fly you will get the advantage of both, the trade mark wiggle of rabbit tail and the eyes in the same area.
Before I tie in a wad of buck tail on the bottom of the shank, I hold the tips and strip out the short hairs. I save these and put into a stacker for later. I wrap the whole thing with Kevlar and glue (photo 30 & 31). Now I know your thinking, man this must own a lot of super glue and Kevlar. Your damn right. As a Spey caster, I am brutal with my flies. I also tack most tie in points with super glue on any fly. Some folks may say, well a good tier doesn’t need glue. I’m sure that is fine when it goes into a shadow box, but I only tie working flies. I’m a rock banging , take missing fool, but my flies will last through it all. I also don’t think I have less takes with the scent of super glue.
From now I use orange 6/0 or 8/0 thread. I take ¼ inch orange scud back and cut a V into the end and tie onto the end over the rabbit. Flip the excess back over the top of the V tip and tie again. This gives a cleaner look to the segments as you work your way up the shank (photo 32, 33&34).
A couple wraps of large cactus chenille (photo 35).
A couple wraps of hackle flash, then pull the hackle flash into a beard and while holding that in position, wrap it with thread into place (photo 36 & 37).
Tie in orange Lady Amherst for tentacles (photo 38). Now you will notice how the large cactus chenille and hackle flash will hold the Amherst out and away from the body.
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