Function First

This week's pattern is a wonderful exercise in simplicity, that could teach a lot of people a few things about what flies really need. It's Lefty's craft fur shrimp.

It's ostensibly a bonefish or flats fly, but this categorisation is needlessly limiting.  Yes, it's a great bonefish pattern, it works for snook, mangrove jacks, permit and others in the salt.  But it's a great freshwater option too black bass love it, presumably as a crayfish pattern, you can strip it like a bugger for trout on confidently drop it in front of a carp. I don't think there will be too many species that you couldn't realistically target with this fly. 

Here's the pattern

Hook: standard saltwater size 8-2/0. 

Weight: bead chain or dumbbells 

Thread: flat waxed nylon.

Tail: craft fur. 

Flash: 2 strands of crystal flash. 

Body: craft fur underfur in a dubbing loop.

You can add a sprig of hard mono as a weed/coral guard if you want. I would, it's easier to cut it off on the water than to add one.  A sharpie can add any barring or hotspots you want.

Wax the dubbing loop to help hold the craft fur while you work but really make sure you spin it up really tight because the wax won’t help you in the tropics. Give it a good scrub with Velcro once you’ve wrapped the body.

When I’m tying other flies with craft fur, I always keep the underfur. I just stuff it in a compartment box because it’s a great dubbing material in its own right. So, I always have plenty if I want to tie a bulkier craft fur shrimp, but the amount from the tail is generally enough or more than enough for the fly being tied.  

Here’s a video I made a while ago, it’s quite a bit longer than the fly will actually take to tie in normal circumstances.

Once you get into the swing of things you'll be able to tie these in 3 or 4 minutes. Which is great if you're getting ready for a trip and don't enjoy long nights at the tying desk. There's no fat on this pattern at all, which makes it great for guides and people who take a vice on longer trips to places where there's no fly shop. 

You can tie it in a range of sizes, weights, and colours.  Small, pale and skinny for Yucatan bones, all white and lightly weighted for beach snook, or big, chunky and blurple for redfish. Just use your imagination or apply the colours and sizes you already like.  It'll work.