Slinky Shrimp

Preparing the "spring" for the shell

1. Lock a needle in your vice and slide on a piece of hollow braid.


2. Run on the tying thread and catch in a piece of body glass with the flat side against the braid. Tie down the body glass back towards the vice jaws.


3. Tie in a piece of tinsel, wind forward in overlapping turns and tie in.


4. Wind the body glass forward in touching turns and tie in.


5. Whip finish and slide the completed shell back off the needle.

Tying the fly

1. Tie in the shell back at the bend of the hook, bind down the braid up the hook shank and trim off the waste with an angled cut.


2. Take the thread back to the base of the shell back and dub the legs. Brush the dubbing down on both sides of the hook.


3. Pull the shell back forward and tie in with tight thread wraps between two of the body segments. Secure the thread with a half hitch or whip finish.


4. Cut through the shell back in front of the hook eye and unravel the ends. Pull each one taught and trim.


5. Bind down the cut ends, build a neat tapered head, whip finish and cut the thread.


6. Apply some UV-resin along the back of the shell, cure the resin and then varnish the shell and head.