Claret Tail Bann Shrimp Description
The Claret Tail Bann Shrimp salmon fly is an excellent low water fly for resident fish. Try casting it across and stripping it back slowly, rather than the normal 45 degrees. The body should be tied with floss rather than seal’s fur or Lite Brite. The Claret Tail Bann Shrimp is also a useful fly for peaty or dark water.
Claret Tail Bann Shrimp Pattern
Hook: Esmond Drury
Thread: White, Black
Tag: Flat or oval Silver tinsel
Tail: Golden pheasant Red breast feather dyed Claret
Rear Body: Yellow floss
Rear Body Rib: Oval Silver tinsel
Mid Hackle: Hot Orange cock saddle
Front Body: Black floss
Front Body Rib: Oval Silver tinsel
Wings: Roofed jungle cock
Front Hackle: Badger
Head: Black
Claret Tail Bann Shrimp Tying Instructions (by Neil Moroney)
Neil has added pearl Krystal flash into the tail. He has also used Orange Flashbrite for the rear body, and Black Flashabou for the front body.
Step 1
Tie in your tying tread, and run down hook shank to form the base.
Step 2
Tie in your Krystal flash, or whatever you want to use to give the tail a little sparkle and cut to desired length. You don’t have to use anything.
Step 3
Tie in oval tinsel, make 3 wraps around the shank to form the Tag and tie off with the thread.
Step 4
Select a suitable sized GP breast feather and tie in by tip. Grip the base of the feather with hackle pliers and wrap around the shank and tie off.
Step 5
Tie in a length of oval silver tinsel, or wire. I prefer to use tinsel with dubbed bodies, such as Flashbrite as it stands out more, and use wire on tinsel bodied flies as its more durable, and protects the tinsel too. Dub or spin the Orange Flashbrite onto the pre-waxed thread to make a Flashbrite dubbing rope that can be wrapped around the shank of the hook – the thread I use is pre-waxed, but you can use ordinary thread and wax it using bees wax or similar. You could alternatively create the flashbrite dubbing rope using a dubbing loop and dubbing twister. Wrap the Flashbrite dubbing rope around the shank in touching turns up to a point where you want the middle hackle to be. This is approx just less than half way along the hook shank. Now wrap the oval Tinsel in 3 equal turns up to the point where the rear body ends, and tie off with the tying thread, and trim the waste.
Step 6
Tie in the orange cock feather by the tip and double it. By doubling the hackle it makes it easier to wind around the shank in a uniform fashion, with the fibres sloping back in the same direction, which gives it more uniform profile. There are sites on the net that show how to double feathers for tying in hackles. The sequences show how it’s done which is easier than trying to explain it in words. Wind the hackle around the shank of the hook, about 3 turns normally. Tie off with the tying thread and trim off the waste.
Step 7
Tie in a length of oval silver tinsel, or wire. Dub the Flashbrite onto the pre-waxed thread to make a Flasbrite dubbing rope that can be wrapped around the shank of the hook, as done for the rear body. This time use Black Flashabou dubbing. Wrap the Flashbrite dubbing rope around the shank in touching turns up to a point where you want the Front hackle to be. Now wrap the oval Tinsel in 3 equal turns up to the point where the Front body ends, and tie off with the tying thread, and trim the waste.
Step 8
Select a matching pair of Jungle Cock Eyes of the correct size. I usually prefer the feathers to just reach the hook points when tied in, or slightly smaller depending on the fly. Tie in the JC feathers in such a way to form a slight “V” shape on top of the hook shank. This as sometimes referred to as being “roofed”.
Step 9
Tie in the Silver Badger cock feather by the tip and double it, as was done for the middle hackle. Wind the hackle around the shank of the hook, about 3 turns normally. Tie off with the tying thread and trim off the waste.
Step 10
Wrap the tying thread around the shank of the hook just before the eye of the hook to form the correct sized head and whip finish.
Step 11
Varnish the head a number of times to complete the fly.
