Todd's Hi Lo Crabby Shrimp

Todd's Hi Lo Crabby Shrimp

Hook: 24007 #4-6
Thread: Danville White Flat Wax Mono
Eyes: Melted Black La Bella G String "Folk Singer" Nylon or Plastic Barbell eyes or Black No-Lead Eyes
Pincers: Grizzly or Barred Cree Hackle Tips (Hen OR Cock) AND a PAIR of Sparkle (or whatever) Rubber Legs, TWO strands of Crimson Krystal Flash

1. Start thread at the eye and cover shank to a point 1/2 way between the point and the barb
2. Tie in Hackle tips, legs and Krystal Flash
3. Using the tie in of the above in #2 as a "bump" tie in eyes as indicated in my BLOG for tying in lead eyes
4. Dub (using the same material as wing, I use Ice Wing or any matching dubbing will do) the tie in area of tips, legs, Krystal Flash and eyes.
5. If you are using Ice Wing or Magic Wing or similar, go back to the BLOG and do the pinch and roll and tie in a sparse batch on top, lock in, advance thread a couple of wraps more and do the same on the bottom.
6. Shampoo, Rinse and Repeat #5 as often as necessary til you get to the front. Tie off, whip finish and CEE Ment.
6.a. If you are using doll hair or Craft Fur or Rabbit, simply tie in batches top then bottom, alternating until you reach the front. Tie off, whip finish and CEE Ment.

BIG HINT:

If you are using ANY synthetic without a taper. ie: Magic Wing, Ice Wing Fiber, EP Fibers, etc., do NOT worry about length. Magic Wing and Ice Wing Fiber and be simply "pinched off to length forming a taper.

IF you are using EP fibers, Doll Hair (not THOSE kind of dolls, the toy dolls, NOT the inflatable ones) or Fishair, again do NOT worry about length. This is easier to show than say but...

Open up the fingers on your RIGHT hand like a fan. Keep your forearm parallel to the table. Place your wrist at the point of the hook with your finger tips toward the bend of the hook. TEASE, COMB or whatever ALL of those fibers in that shape (almost a semi circle with the center of the semi circle being the point of the hook. Trim the fibers into a letter C. with your scissors. When you stroke them back into position you have a PERFECT taper. (Stuart, you have to turn this around cause your "backwards" (you Catskill LH Hillbilly, you!), so the C is a backwards C. IN BOTH CASES, the tips should come almost to about the same point as the tips of the hackle tips, rubber legs and Krystal Flash.

Swing it in the current. Put it along side rocks and short strips, when you get a follow strip faster and faster. Blind cast (fan cast) until you hook up.

Bones, Pompano, Croakers, Baby TahrPoons, and smallmouth love em (in Olive and Orange).

Saltwater, stick with Tan, WHITE (yes white), Pink and Orange (or mix Pink and Orange)

How To Deal With Ice Wing Fiber II

Take your other hand and gently rub both hands together (as if you were warming your hands) and create a LOOSE ball of material that can then be folded over the thread and wrapped on to the hook.

How To Deal With Ice Wing Fiber I

Pinch and tease an amount of fibers and place in the palm of one hand.

Charlie Step 14

Overwrap the butts (take your time and let the glue/cement seep into the butts), make a smooth head, whipfinish, cut off, and cement.

Charlie Step 13

IF you are using Calftail or Rabbit, I had told you earlier to leave the thread just in front of the eyes. Measure length of material and cut BEFORE you tie it to the hook. Let the butts hang a BIT over the eye of the hook. Take 2 gentle wraps around the butts, and you can pull rearward till the butts clear the eye (this way you don't have to do a "haircut" once you finish the fly. IMPORTANT: Before you do any more wrapping, apply head cement or cyanoacrylate glue to the butts before winding so the wing doesn't pull out when you are fishing. (When Calf gets wet it is VERY slippery and will pull right out if you don't use a bit of glue/cement).

Charlie Step 12

When using Ice Wing, you don't use scissors to adjust the length of the wing, you just pinch off the excess till you get what you are looking for. The wing shouldn't go much past the bend (this prevents "fouling")

Charlie Step 11