Fly Of The Month

June 2001
Crease Shrimp

By Frank Abbate

The Crease Shrimp is a pattern designed by Joe Blados, from the series of patterns called Crease Flies. Joe designed these flies more than a decade ago, while experimenting with different types of foam. Finally settling on sheet foam, called Live Body, Joe was to create one of the most important additions to the arsenal of saltwater fly fishers. Fish this fly with a floating or sinking line, in a dead drift and POW, ZAP, KAPLOOEY, OK! maybe not kaplooey. Fish fear this fly, so try one out.

Materials

Hook any wide gap hook (this example is a 2/0 Siwash)
Thread fine mono
Body Live Body Foam
Eyes Crustacean eyes[pictured] or burnt mono
Antennae Bucktail
Legs Hackle
Flash Gold Krystal Flash
Adhesive 5 minute epoxy
Markings Pantone or Sharpie markers


Tying Instructions
1 Place hook in vice
2 Cut a small bunch of Brown bucktail and tie down at the bend of the hook.
3 Cut another small bunch of longer bucktail hairs and mix with a few strands of gold krystal flash. Tie this bunch on top of the shorter bucktail.
4 Tie in your eyes on either side of the bunches of bucktail, add some cement.
5 Take one or two webby hackles, tie in at the bend of the hook and palmer to the hook eye. Be Neat!
6 Cut a piece of foam in the shape of the shrimp carapace, fold over the shank and secure by running the thread in equal segments towards the bend of the hook, about 4 or five turns should do it.
7 Follow those turns back to the eye without crushing the hackle legs and tie off.
8 Make your markings with markers and add a little glitter to the epoxy if you want and lightly coat the foam. let dry and you are done. Take your time with the first few, remember neatness counts.