Joe’s Shrimp

J oe Manzano is a commercial fly- tyer based near Wollongong on the NSW coast. I have bought a few of his superb bass flies in the past, and his saltwater flies are particularly refreshing. Joe’s Shrimp is one of those flies you see for the first time and think, ‘How did he do that…?’

Joe’s Shrimp was inspired by Griffo’s Celluloid Shrimp, which itself was developed in Shellharbour on the NSW South Coast. Looking to adapt the pattern for new species, Joe has refined the fly and it has proven super effective on flathead, bream, estuary perch, bass and Australian salmon.

The pattern lends itself to creating the transparent colouration typical of estuarine shrimps, simply by altering the thread colour. You can use clear mono thread for a totally transparent fly, or use olive or tan — as I have in the tying steps — for a subtle colour profile. You can also add a weed guard, which is handy when fishing to structure around oyster leases, weed beds or sunken tree limbs.

The tail is around a dozen strands of Krystal Flash — Joe likes to use bonefish tan. Tie in a bunch and wrap it down the hook shank so you can use the tag ends as legs as well.

Joe has identified some key materials that are available online through Troutlore… Joe’s Stretch Cord is used for the body and is available in two sizes to suit size 4 up to size 1 hooks. It’s very stretchy, so you need to tie it in securely and give a whip finish at every tying step to prevent it from unravelling. Joe’s Flat Cord is tied in as a carapace, just to add a little profile to the fly.

The key is to control the tension of the body material — stretch it tightly when starting to wrap the body and gradually relax the tension as you reach the carapace, creating a taper. The thorax should have very little tension before making the last wrap very tight, so you can tie it off.

Tying in 3mm plastic bead chain eyes adds realism. After tying off, apply a coat of ultra thin UV resin to seal the head area, then finish with a light coat of thin UV resin just to add taper. Make sure the resin gets into the Stretch Cord at the start of the thorax so that you have a realistic profile.

Add a drop of fluorescent orange UV resin at the base of the legs and spread them with your finger as you cure it. Trim to length and you’re done.

Fish it in shallow water with a floating line for your favourite estuary species. Switch to an intermediate for working structure in deeper waters.

Joe’s Shrimp sinks well for a fly that lands lightly, perfect for spooky bream in the shallows. You can tie them small and subtle on #4 hooks, or bite size on #2 as pictured. Either way, this realistic pattern should be kept out of sight of the kitchen, just in case it ends up in a cocktail glass…