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Greentail Shrimp Fly

      In the seafood markets, these shrimp are rather plain and unremarkable.  Alive and kicking in your hand they exhibit a bright blue green, almost chartreuse tail. 

      I developed this pattern for fishing under dock lights when the green tails are running.  Fished during the day, I cannot say that this fly is anymore effective than any other "shrimp" pattern in my box.  At night, it's a different story.

      When night fishing during geentail runs, I would continually produced more fish with almost any small pattern that featured chartreuse than I did with more imitative shrimp patterns.

      After a little experimentation, I ended up with this craft fur pattern which does the trick during greentail runs.    Details of this pattern cannot truly be appreciated until it is submerged, and the craft fur becomes very translucent.  
             

Tying Instructions

1. Attach weighted eyes on top of hook shank and close to hook eye.  Advance thread to just before bend.

2. Tie in clump of craft fur for tail.

3. Bind end of a section of chartreuse Estaz to base of tail.   Pull Estaz out of way and back toward tail (into a material holding spring if available).

4. At the tie in point of Estaz and base of tail,   form a heavy dubbing loop with full lengths of craft fur.  Spin loop, then allow loop to hang.

5. Advance thread forward to eyes.  Wrap Estaz forward and tie off behind eyes.

6. Palmer the dubbing loop up through Estaz.  As you advance the loop keep fibers brushed toward the tail.

7. Tie off loop, cut off any extra loop,  whip finish, and apply a drop head cement.

8. Using waterproof markers, color fly as shown:   chartreuse bars with darker blue or green on tip of tail. 

Harry Hall sefly.com     

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