SALT WATER PRAWN FLY LURE

In the April edition of Sea Angling News, I included a photo of a Prawn lure I tied which has raised quite a lot of interest amongst salt water fly fishers.  I would like to pass on the credit for this pattern to my regular salt water fly fishing pal Russ Symons, the highly regarded Sea Angling and Fly Fishing photo journalist.

During a recent visit, Russ showed me a couple of salt water shrimp and prawn patterns.  On my return home I got to thinking about how I might tie something similar myself and as ever, try to personalize the design to my own preferences from various materials which I had to hand.

Here’s my version.

1. Your first task is to make the eyes on stalks.  These need to be made a few days in advance.  I usually make a batch of 30 or 40 at a sitting and store them for subsequent use on a number of other patterns including crabs.  They don’t take long.  It can be a pleasant way to while away an hour on a damp afternoon.
   
   Take a length of clear 60 lb b.s. monofilament fishing line.  About 4 inches is ideal.  Heat the end in a flame from a gas cigarette lighter or long wooden match.  I use a gas powered plumber’s blowlamp on a very low setting.  As the end starts to melt, keep turning the piece of mono allowing a ball to form.  Do mind your own hands and fingers molten nylon sticks to the skin and can prove quite painful; I speak from bitter experience!
   
   I push the sharp end of the mono into a block of polyurethane foam to hold it while the molten eyeball sets.
   
   After it has cooled I dip the ball into black coloured nail varnish then reinsert it into the foam block for a few days until the varnish has completely hardened.  I sometimes add a second coat of transparent “Sally Hansen – Hard as Nails with Nylon” over the top of the cured black varnish and then leave the eyes to harden for a few more days.  This makes them very durable and adds depth to their appearance.
   
    

   Eyes made from 60 lb b.s. mono with varnish drying

    

2. Your next choice involves the style of hook you prefer.  I normally use a size 2 which appears about right for this design.  You may prefer to go larger or smaller as your fancy takes you.
   
   Salt water is highly corrosive, so a stainless or rust resistant finish to the metal is a must.  For a heavier quick sinking pattern I use a Stainless Steel Saltwater Aberdeen pattern hook, model ref: SW039SS by Partridge.  If you can’t get this, (and they are readily obtainable from any reputable fly fishing material supplier), then use a stainless “O’Shaughnessy” pattern which you can buy at any sea angling shop, but do ensure the point is needle sharp.  You can improve it with a diamond hook lap file if you wish.
   
   More recently I discovered a purpose made Partridge Saltwater Shrimp Fly hook; Partridge Ref: CS54, which has a corrosion resistant “NIFLOR” finish.  It also has a slightly curved shank and a wider gape than the standard Aberdeen pattern.  This is now my preferred choice.
   
    

   Hook Types Partridge Stainless Aberdeen (l) Partridge Saltwater Shrimp Fly (r)

    

3. I use a heavy thread for the under-body of my salt water flies.  Big Fly u-w “B” thread, which is about 3/0 weight, is perfect.  I have used white in this example, but you may choose another colour.  The heavier thread covers the hook more quickly and thickly to build a tapered body shape.
   
   Even layers can best be achieved when winding this thread onto the shank of the hook if you spin the bobbin holder anticlockwise every 6 – 10 turns.  This unwinds the twist in the yarn and allows it to lay flatter and consequently build a neater body.
   
    
4. I usually insert the hook into my fly tying vice and then lightly coat the shank with superglue, from just behind the eye to a point at the start of the bend of the hook opposite the barb.  I then wind the thread onto the hook from just behind the eye down to the start of the bend and back, building up a tapered body shape as I do so.  About 4 – 6 layers is about right.
   
   You will have probably already noticed that this fly is tied back to front.  The head and eyes of the fly are above the bend of the hook, while the tail of the shrimp covers the eye.
   
    

   Layered thread on hook shank forming body shape

    

5. Take the thread to the head end of the fly, above the hook bend.  Take a pair of the mono eyes which you made earlier and scrape the lower two thirds of their stalks with a sharp blade to roughen and slightly taper the surface furthest away from the ball head.  This makes them far easier to attach as it keys the surface of the nylon and lets the thread grab it more easily.
   
   Whip the pair of eyes to the top of the hook shank so they protrude just forward of the hook bend.  Take the thread back to just behind the hook eye in close turns.  Now splay the eyes slightly by bending them outwards in your fingers.
   
    

   Eyes tied in on body & thread whipped back to just behind eye of hook

    

6. Select a bunch of “Bestway Super Hair” or some similar crinkly filamentous material about 3 inches long.  Use this to form a tail; thicken the back of the body; and make sub whiskers at the head of the prawn, by whipping it onto the shank of the hook from the tail towards the head.  Splay the tail over the hook eye and then trim it to length.  Now look at the whiskers at the head end and trim them off to your preferred profile.  The whipping thread should be at the head end of the body at this stage.
   
    

   Bestway "Super Hair" tied in on top of hook shank forming sub-whiskers at head; thickened body profile; and fan tail

   
    

7. Now if you want to make your Prawn look even better, select about 6 strands of “Firefly Hot Tail” brightly coloured crinkly nylon.  In the photograph, I have used a shade which graduates from purple (at the head end) to pink (over the body and tail).  You can obtain other colours including green and orange which are also suitable.
   
   Lay these strands on top of the back of your fly and lightly whip them in touching turns back to the tail.  Secure your tying thread with a couple of half hitches at the tail, just behind the eye of the hook.  Trim the over layers at the head and tail to your preferred profile.
   
    

   Firefly "Hot Tail" fibres tied in to form thicker head & tail whiskers

    

8. Personally from this point on, I tie off and cut the heavy tying thread and change to a far lighter thread as I have finished building the bulk of the Prawn’s body.
   
   I whip on the lighter thread just at the head end of the Prawn.  I’m going to use it to secure a long feather hackle which will eventually be palmered along the finished body, tied off at the tail and clipped to form legs.
   
    
9. Take a “grizzle” (brown & creamy white) cock hackle feather about 3 or 4 inches long.  Tear off the fluffy fibres at the base of the feather leaving the central quill protruding.
   
   Whip this exposed quill to the underside of the hook shank and then take the lighter thread in open turns along the body, back to a point at the tail, just behind the eye of the hook.  Leave the whipping thread bobbin dangling at this point.
   
    
10. Take a length of pearl mylar tinsel and secure it by tying its end with the whipping thread just behind the eye of the hook.  This tinsel is going to give the Prawn its translucent appearance.
    
     

    Grizzle cock hackle tied in at head & Pearl Mylar tinsel tied in at tail

     

11. Now coat the surface of the thread body of the prawn with super glue.  Don’t get it on your fingers!  Wind the pearl mylar tinsel over the tacky superglue, forward to the head and then back over itself to the tail in close turns.  Use the whipping thread to tie off the end of the mylar tinsel at the tail, just behind the eye of the hook.
    
     

    Pearl Mylar tinsel wrapped over thread body to head & back to the tail, then tied off at tail

     

12. Next grip the tip of the grizzle cock feather hackle and wind it in 4 or 5 quite widely spaced even turns over the mylar, around the body back to the tail where you tie it off with the whipping thread, just behind the eye of the hook.
    
    You can now whip finish the tying thread just in front of the eye of the hook and then neatly cut the thread.  I often use a dubbing needle to apply a dab of superglue to the final whipping of the thread to keep it secure.
    
     

    Grizzle cock hackle wound over mylar tinsel body, "Palmer" style, back to just in front of eye of hook, then tied off at the tail

     

13. Now take your fine scissors and trim off the individual feather fibres from the central quill along the back and sides of your Prawn.  Just leave the fibres below the belly of the Prawn to form its legs.
    
     

    Hackle fibres on back & sides of body trimmed off to leave fibres below belly as legs of Prawn

     

14. I like to take a spirit based indelible black felt tip marker pen and draw lines on the Mylar, across the back of the Prawn, which simulate the joints in the transparent shell.
    
     
15. You now have two choices to create the outer shell.
    
    You can finish the back of the Prawn by coating it with 5 minute Epoxy glue.
    
    I prefer to use a transparent hot glue stick in an electric hot glue gun to form the shell back of my Prawn.  I finder it quicker, easier and far less messy.
    
     

    Finished Salt Water Prawn Fly Lure

You need to pick your spot and tide and use your Prawn to catch Bass, Pollack, Wrasse, Mackerel, and Scad.

My pal, Colin Werlock tried the prototype on a normal fishing rod under a float and caught three nice Pollack each of about 2 lbs in weight from a local breakwater.  He was really peeved when he lost his “Prawn” amongst the rocks, just as he was getting to like it!

I know it will work well with my new Sage RPLXi 9 foot #8 weight fly rod; Snowbee XS large arbour reel; floating, intermediate, or sinking fly line depending at what depth the fish are feeding; and about 2 to 3 metres of 10 lb b.s. fluorocarbon leader material.

I didn't get around to salt water fly fishing during the 2002 season, I guess the fishing was so good I didn't make time that year.  During the late summer of 2001 Patsy & I caught more than 200 fish on a fly rod fished close inshore from our own small boat.  It really did provide some exciting sport and entertainment.

I anticipate catching some nice fish on salt water fly in local waters during those quiet early mornings and warm summer evenings in 2003.

Here are the contact details for some useful suppliers of Fly tying & fly fishing equipment:-

SportFish Ltd, Winforton, Nr. Hereford, HR3 6SP, for Rods; Reels; Fly Lines; Accessories; Clothing; Fly Tying items; 01544 327111 or www.sportfish.co.uk

Sportfish also have several stores throughout the U.K. including their lakeside venue at Haywards Farm, Theale, Reading, RG7 4AS, Tel: 0118 9303860.

Snowbee Ltd, Drakes Court, Plympton, Nr. Plymouth, Devon, for  Rods; Reels; Fly Lines; Accessories; Clothing; Fly Tying items; Tel: 01752 334933 or www.snowbee.co.uk

Lakeland Flytying, 9 Devonshire Street, Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, A15 8SW, for Fly Tying items; Tel/Fax: 01229 465753 or  www.lakesflyfishing.co.uk

"Firefly", 2 Southam Road, Dunchurch, Warwickshire, CV22 6NL
Tel: 01788 815855