Curry’s Red Shrimp -step by step

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Published on Thursday, 02 August 2012 07:32
Written by Dennis Shaw

In days of yore, BAS (before Ally’s Shrimp) one fly reigned supreme, Curry’s Red Shrimp. Like all similar style shrimp flys it has been relegated to the “I used to catch a lot of fish on that” realm. A bit of a shame really, I’m positive that if as many anglers fished the Curry’s Red today as appear to fish the Ally’s the Curry’s Red would catch as many fish. The fly was given to us by Mr Pat Curry of Coleraine in Northern Ireland. Yet another fine example of the Irish ability to turn out killing flys. As with all shrimp flys you can tie this in a range of sizes and on singles, doubles and treble hooks.

Instructions assume right-handed tyers

Materials list
HOOK – Single, Double or Treble (size to suit)
THREAD – Red 6/0
TAG – Flat Silver Tinsel
REAR HACKLE – Red Golden Pheasant Breast Feather
REAR RIB – Oval Silver Tinsel
REAR BODY –Red Floss
VEILLING – Indian Crow (subs)
MID HACKLE – Badger Cock
FRONT RIB – Oval Silver Tinsel (slightly thicker than the rear body)
FRONT BODY – Black Floss
WINGS – Jungle Cock
HEAD HACKLE – Badger Cock (slightly longer than the mid hackle)

 

STEP 1 Attach the thread and wrap to the point shown. Catch the flat silver rib in under the hook shank as you go.
STEP 2 Wrap the tinsel over the bare shank towards the hook bends. Then pull the tinsel up between the two hook bends and over the top of the just wrapped tag, tying it where the initial tie in point is.
STEP 3 This is what it will look like from above
STEP 4 Tie in a Golden Pheasant red breast feather. I prefer to double mine before tying in, but if you prefer you can double it after tying in.
STEP 5 Wrap the hackle and tie off
STEP 6 Tie the silver rib in under the shank, taking the thread to the midshank point.
STEP 7 Tie the red floss in for the rear body, under the shank
STEP 8 Wrap the floss down to the rear hackle and back to the mid point.
STEP 9 Follow with an evenly spaced rib and tie off.
STEP 10 Tie the veiling in. one under the shank and one on top
STEP 11 Tie in the doubled badger hackle
STEP 12 Wrap the mid hackle and tie off.
STEP 13 Catch in the front rib, this is slightly thicker than the rear rib. Take the thread to the shoulder.
STEP 14 Tie in the black floss for the front body.
STEP 15 Wrap the floss down to the mid hackle and back to the shoulder.
STEP 16 Follow with an evenly spaced rib and tie off.
STEP 17 Prepare two matched Jungle Cock eyes by stripping the flue as shown. Many of the larger eyes on a Jungle Cock cape will be split. To repair them place a spot of Floo Glue or similar on your index finger, then touch some on to your thumb and pull the eye feather between them. This will coat both sides of the eye with the adhesive.
STEP 18 Tie the eyes in on top of the shank, they should extend roughly to the end of the body. Tie each eye in slightly off centre so that they form a roof shaped wing.
STEP 19 Viewed from above they should look like this.
STEP 20 A Good tip when tying Jungle Cock eyes in. After you have secured the eyes fold both stem back and wrap over them trimming the waste after you have made two or three turns of thread.
STEP 21 Tie in the doubled head hackle. This should be slightly longer than the mid hackle.
STEP 22 Wrap the hackle and tie off.
STEP 23 Form a neat head, whipfinish and varnish for the completed fly. You can if you wish varnish the head with red varnish.
As with most flies, shrimps come in several flavours.


Dennis Shaw was born into a fanatical fishing family at Dalbeattie in Southwest Scotland. He graduated from the local "Barr Burn", with the proverbial cane, wool and bent pin for eels, to fishing the local rivers and lochs. Now married with a son and daughter and fishing the chalkstreams of Southern England, Dennis is always yearning for "home". He has been tying flies for over 35 years yet still learns something new every day.