Raw Prawn

Summer has arrived and the prawns are running throughout the estuaries during the dark of the moon. The waters have warmed; estuarine systems have come to life and fish will aggressively chase down a well-presented shrimp fly.

The Raw Prawn, originally designed as a flathead fly for the NSW Mid North Coast, quickly became a versatile fly for bream. The pattern has since accounted for a host of species, including estuary perch, mangrove jack, mulloway, bass, golden perch and carp, along with brown trout on the Eucumbene yabby beds.

The Raw Prawn is highly regarded for its natural movement and precise silhouette, allowing it to mimic local prawn species with conviction.

For this column, we focus on the tie for the southern estuarine species. The tan colour, as described throughout the tying process has dominated, though olive and pink combinations will perform well on their day.

Secure hook in the vice with the point facing down. Lay a base of thread along the shank from behind the hook eye, stopping directly above the barb. Tie in the dumbbell eyes, positioned 5mm back from the centre of the hook eye. A drop of Gulff Minuteman Gel superglue will assist in bonding those in place whilst ensuring they are square to the hook shank and level.

Advance the thread to be positioned directly above the hook point, secure a small bunch of tapered SF Blend, so that 30mm is protruding past the bend of the hook.

Rotate the hook to point up and secure the Easy Shrimp Eyes by laying the stem along the shank and wrapping with thread, aligning the eyeballs with the bend of the hook.

Taking two strands of Pearl Krystal Flash, double them over the thread and secure in the centre of the Shrimp Eyes. Tie in another bunch of tapered SF Blend above the Krystal Flash. Trim legs and antennae to a length of 40mm to complete the head portion.

To commence the body, start by adding a tight noodle of EP Shrimp Dub to your thread. Wrap around the shank directly behind the head to create a ball of dubbing. Taking two Hareline Crazy legs in Metallic Gold, fold them over the thread and tie in place directly on top of the hook shank behind your ball of dubbing. Taking two Wapsi Perfectly Barred legs in Sand, attach one on each side of the body, positioned below the gold legs.

To tie in the hot spot, dub a portion of Scud Dub in Shrimp Scud colour and wrap around the hook shank, directly behind the legs. At this point, you should be just past the hook point. Since space is limited, carefully consider your thread wrap counts.

To complete the body section, apply tan dubbing to your thread and work towards the dumbbell eyes, finishing tight to the dumbbells. Before advancing to the wing section, take your dubbing brush and work out the dubbing fibres to create legs under the body.

Take a small clump of Baitfish Blend, slide it between your forefinger and thumb to create a nice taper, and tie infront of the dumbbells. Trim the excess from the hook eye area, build a bullet shaped head, whip finish and coat with resin and cure.

The finished fly should measure 60–62mm in length. The Raw Prawn can also be scaled up for species like barra, threadfin and mulloway.

FISHING THE RAW PRAWN

A full floating W/F line is ideal for the flats, though a full intermediate or intermediate tip configuration works best when presenting the fly deeper than 2 metres. A loop knot lets the fly move freely during retrieval, making its silicone legs pulse in the water.

When retrieving, I use two quick, sharp bumps of the fly line, keep tension as the fly descends, bump again, then make a 30–40cm draw before another sharp bump. Keep the rod tip close to the water and set the hook with a firm strip-set before lifting into any fish.

Kits to tie this pattern are available at bwcflies.com.au and tying video: flylife.com.au/raw-prawn