TUCKERS SHRIMP
Hook: TMC 2457 sizes #14 - #16
Thread: 8/0 Waxed, color to match body
Tail: Mallard flank, dyed wood duck color
Body: Larva Lace, size midge
Legs: Single strand ostrich herl, natural gray
Start thread, tie in a few strands of mallard flank, tie this as a short tail, about 1/2 shank length.
Tie on Larva Lace and ostrich herl at back of hook. Be sure you are far enough back - the thread should hang down and touch the point of the barb.
Take one wrap around the hook with the Larva Lace, then take one wrap with the ostrich herl around the Larva Lace - counter clockwise.
Keep the ostrich herl under the hook as much as possible. Then another wrap around hook with Larva Lace, then another wrap around the Larva Lace with ostrich herl. I know this sounds strange, but it is a rhythm.
Just continue this wrapping all the way to within an eye width of the hook eye. Tie off materials at this point, build a head, then whip finish. What this does, is to form the ribbed body using the Larva Lace, but by wrapping the ostrich herl only around the body material and not the hook itself, keeps the fuzzy looking shrimp-legs on the under side of the fly.
This is a good shrimp-scud pattern, I like to tie it in tans and olives, maybe a few dark rusts.
Once you get the hang of keeping the ostrich underneath, it ties up fast.
- Julie