Estuary Critter Crustacean Saltwater Article Hook : 34007 sizes 8 - 2 (Size 2 used for swap) (the US Laguna Critter suggests Tiemco TMC 811S size 6, or Tiemco TMC 800S size 8). Thread : White 3/0 - 6/0 would also be OK. Claws : Two grizzly dry fly hackle tips tied in at bend. Antennae : White Bucktail and Pearl Krystal Flash. Eyes : Black plastic beads superglued onto 40lb mono. Legs : Palmer wound white/gray hackle feathers. Body : Brown Medium chenille. Carapace : Olive Mallard Flank Feather covered with "Hard as Nails' or dave's Flexime. Optional : Weed Guard: Single 15 pound Mason mono (optional).
Tying Instructions 1 : Tie in 2 grizzly dry fly hackle tips at the hook bend. Splay the feathers in a slightly outward angle with the shiny sides up. 2 : Tie in bead/mono eyes on the shaft of the hook. Wrap the thread around the base of the mono to the splay the eyes upward and outward. 3 : Tie in white bucktail extending from the center of the head. Add a few strands of Krystal Flash on top of the deer hair. 4 : Starting near the eyes, tie in Brown medium chenille that will be the base of the body and a white/grey hackle feather by the butt. Wind chenille base on the hook and tie off. 5 : Grab the white/grey hackle feather by the tip and wind it on top of the chenille base all the way to the eye of the hook and tie it of. Using scissors, clip the top half of the palmered hackle, leaving only the hackle pointing down at the hook point. 6 : Apply a generous amount of quick drying cement or fingernail polish to the top of the fly. Let the cement dry to a very tacky finish. While waiting for the cement to dry, coat the underside of a duck flank feather with cement. When tacky, tie in the first of one or two flank feathers by the stem near the eye. Add additional flank feathers as required. 7 : Coat the duck flank on the top of the fly with cement or nail polish and let dry. Trim and sculpture the excess barbules (simulating legs) near the hook eye, to a desired look and shape. 8 : Optional: Tie in a single piece of hard mono as a weed guard and trim it near the point of the hook.
Fly Notes All white/pearl versions good in smaller sizes for native freshwater species as a imitation of a freshwater shrimp This is a lightly weighted fly (very lightly when not using a 34007), that is meant to sink very slowly and to cast further and land more quietly than epoxy style shrimp flies.
Fishing Notes Designed for use in shallow weeded areas.
Location Notes mud, sand bars & weed banks of South East Queensland. Estuary.
Prey Notes shrimp, freshwater shrimp
Tier Richard Carter

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