# Help choosing a shrimp fly pattern



## Newman (Jan 22, 2018)

Seaducer


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

Newman said:


> Seaducer


Exactly where my mind went as well.

Can sink slow, unweighted and casts well. Easily available


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Newman said:


> Seaducer


+3 on the Seaducer


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

That epoxy shrimp is a good pattern. Believe it or not, I've used it on salt water stripers. It doesn't get down, but if you need it to, just wrap a little lead wire around the eyelet shank.


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## Paul Mills (Mar 26, 2018)

The seaducer. I have some oddly enough.

#4 in white. Tan and Olive as well.


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

The shell on the EP Grass shrimp looks to be made with UV clear.
I don't have any experience with it but I'd expect it to sink while not in motion (striping).

It might be possible to ty a shrimp pattern using my plastic bag idea for the shell and place a piece of foam under the bag.
Some experimenting and you could have a neutral buoyancy or very slow sink rate. 

I've not tested my shrimp fly yet.
It's possible that it just might float  because the plastic might be trapping air under it.

What fish are you targeting?


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

FWIW I'd probably start with a bendback in that situation. I'd tie it on a relatively lightweight hook (I generally use a #2 or 4 Gamakatsu SC-15), and depending on the local shrimp colorations, use grey, cream, olive, or sand colored craft fur. I use all four colors here in Texas over shallow grass and oysters and the local fish seem to like them okay. I don't even bother to put eyes on them any more. Most I tie in just a single color, but occasionally after the second bourbon I might mix a couple of colors; I think that sometimes helps the illusion of movement with craft fur. The grey and light olive is a favorite, and the gray is probably the most-used single color. Sometimes I use a black or brown Sharpie to add barring, but I haven't seen that it really makes much difference. Might be worth a try in your situation. Good luck!


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

This is from my "something shrimpy" series... and I'd tie it much smaller than the size shown - say in a #4 or #2 hook.... Go to a few with a much smaller beadchain eye, as well as a few with mono eyes so it suspends nicely...








If you tie a lot you'll recognize the basic "Seaducer pattern" - more than fifty years old now (and has direct roots to some of those early patterns by Homer Rhode - back in the 1930's.. ).

Tail - strung neck hackle, two or three on a side ... Spreader, sparse bucktail or calftail.... Flash - a very sparse amount of pearl Flashabou Accent on top (keep the flash short and sparse...).... Collar - two or three wide webby saddles palmered in with as much of the "fluff" as possible... Thread - Danville's flat waxed nylon in fl. orange... Weedguard - optional, but everyone of my patterns used near mangroves will have a wire weedguard if at all possible... 

Hope this helps
"Be a hero... take a kid fishing"


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## 994 (Apr 14, 2008)

lemaymiami said:


> This is from my "something shrimpy" series... and I'd tie it much smaller than the size shown - say in a #4 or #2 hook.... Go to a few with a much smaller beadchain eye, as well as a few with mono eyes so it suspends nicely...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This fly scaled down and tied on a #4 is what I throw 90% of the time from October-March. Hard to beat. Also looks like a killifish or molly when given a long strip under a mangrove.


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## Clamfoot (Jun 21, 2021)

A supreme hair shrimp should be available and it's typically unweighted
Seaducer always.

Not sure if you are tying but if you look in the "what have you been trying" thread about 10 days to two weeks ago there was a number shrimp patterns discussed.


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## Cory Michner (Jan 28, 2020)

As others have said, Seaducer is probably the go-to here, and is also my favorite fly of all time (no bias here haha). 

Since you specifically asked for commercial ties, most commercially tied Seaducers are more "mullet-sized" than "shrimp-sized" so you can check out these smaller versions like what Ole Florida carries: Ole Florida Sea Ducer.

Those flies land softly and will hover in the water column beautifully. In my experience, a feather tail will probably sink more slowly than a pseudo hair or craft fur tail.

The other 2 commercial flies that would be worth a look are these:

Kwan variations like the Original Hook-Down Style or the Foxy Kwan. The Original style kind of "flutters" on the way down because of how the head is tied and I prefer it. You can pull the bead-chain eyes off with pliers if it's sinking too fast.
Ole Florida Rio Lagoonatic - the arctic fox tail can trap air and if you don't squeeze it in the water first will hold high in the water column. Movement is just ok, I prefer the Kwan
The seaducer fly @Paul Mills showed above with the hackle collar and pseudo hair (I think? Paul can correct me here) is a killer
If you're fishing fluoro, switching to a mono leader/tippet will make a huge difference as fluoro will sink the fly faster (the difference really is noticeable).

For the above patterns, even switching to a smaller hook, lighter wire hook, tighter hackles on the head, more feathers in the tail, etc can make a massive difference in sink rate, which you can get creative with on your own vice if you decide to start tying.

Hope this helps!


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## Paul Mills (Mar 26, 2018)

Cory Michner said:


> The seaducer fly @Paul Mills showed above with the hackle collar and pseudo hair (I think? Paul can correct me here) is a killer
> 
> If you're fishing fluoro, switching to a mono leader/tippet will make a huge difference as fluoro will sink the fly faster (the difference really is noticeable).


Helps a lot. The size I'm looking at is #4, that's about 1 1/2" long. 

Correct, the hair on the seaducer I posted is polar fibre. Really moves. Hackles feathers arent durable enough for this fish, they wreck them. 

Yup. I'm fishing all mono leader. Around 12-15ft. 

Thanks for the input, highly valubale.


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

Check this, might help









Complete Hy-Flote® Floatant System


Keep those flies above water with our deluxe fly-fishing floatant. Made in USA.




www.orvis.com


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

Lizzie. Sinks very slowly, in some I add a little foam before I palmer to make them all but suspend. I've caught a variety of fish on them and they're my go-to to get the first tailer for my buddies. Quick and easy to tie, only two materials- Root Beer Estaz Grande and olive dyed grizzly marabou, three feathers tied flat horizontally. Weed guard if fishing for tailers. Size 1 or 2 hook for reds.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Paul Mills said:


> Helps a lot. The size I'm looking at is #4, that's about 1 1/2" long.
> 
> Correct, the hair on the seaducer I posted is polar fibre. Really moves. Hackles feathers arent durable enough for this fish, they wreck them.
> 
> ...


Extra select craft fur works also. You could add some barring.


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## Ted Tsandes (Jan 23, 2020)

You might take a look here:









Search Results for “shrimp” – SSFlies


This is where you can browse products in this store.




ssflies.com





If you see something you like, you can usually get in touch with them and they will tie it with whatever eye weight (or lack of eye weight) you want.


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## Nickbeecher710 (Jun 4, 2018)

Vote is for seaducer


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