TYING A RIBBON SALTWATER SHRIMP
Barry Ord Clarke invented the Ribbon Saltwater Shrimp. The fly is an excellent imitation of the saltwater shrimp and is a great pattern when chasing sea trouts. You can tie this fly in any color, but I have caught most fish with the pink, cream, orange, olive, and white versions. See how you can tie a Ribbon Saltwater Shrimp.
Materials for Ribbon Saltwater Shrimp
| Part: | Materials: | Size/Color: |
| Hook: | Daiichi | 2546 #4 |
| Thread: | Textreme | Fluo Pink 6/0 |
| Tail: | Organza Ribbon | Light Pink |
| Feelers: | FFGene | Silicone Legs Cotton Candy |
| Eyes: | Hareline | Crab Eyes Black |
| Hackle: | Organza Ribbon | Light Pink |
| Shellback: | UV Resin | Medium |
Video Instructions on How to Tie a Ribbon Saltwater Shrimp
Slideshow on How To Tie a Ribbon Saltwater Shrimp
Step 1 – Prepare the Organza Hackle
If you do not already have Organza Ribbons, you can buy these on eBay for a few dollars. You can get them in close to any color and size. I prefer to use a ribbon with a width of 1”.
Snip a length from the roll with Organza Ribbon. 10 cm should be enough for hook sizes between #6 to #2. Use a scissor with long blades to cut the ribbon diagonally, as shown in the slideshow.
Use a needle to pull out the fibers going lengthwise. Do not throw these fibers away, as we will use these for the tail of the fly.
Step 2 – Make the Tail
Start tying in your fly tying thread close to the hook’s eye. Make even thread turns until your tying thread is aligned with the barb. Tie in the fibers you removed from the Organza Ribbon. They should be tied in on the midpoint as you want to fold the fibers. The length should be about 2x the hook shank. Stop tying them in when your tying thread is aligned with the hook point. Fold the fibers pointing over the eye backward and tie them in. Fix the tail with a drop of UV Resin to spread it. Tie in one Silicone Leg on each side of the hook for the feelers. Tie in the Organza hackle. The fibers should point upwards. Make 2 to 3 turns and tie it off, but do not remove it as we will use it for the body hackle.
Step 3 – Tie In the Eyes
Tie in one eye on each side of the hook. Tie them in close to the bulk from the tail and hackle. The bulk will make the eyes spread out to each side and give it the look of a shrimp. The eyes should reach the back part of the hook’s bend.
Step 4 – Hackle the Body
Make 4 to 6 turns around the hook shank with the Organza hackle. Tie it off close to the hook’s eye and remove any excess. Secure your tying thread with a whip finish or a few half-hitches and some varnish before snipping off the thread. Split and fold the hackle on the upper side of the hook to the sides to make space for the shellback.
Step 5 – Make the Shellback
Put on a layer of UV Resin on top of the fly. Add a drop of UV Resin to the hackle in front of the eyes to fixate the hackle like a shrimp’s head. Cure the UV Resin with the UV torch. Trim the tail. The Organza fibers and the silicone legs.
How to Fish the Ribbon Saltwater Shrimp
When shrimps are swimming, they shoot through the water before taking a break. You can replicate this movement by making quick and short retrieves of about 30 to 50 cm and then taking a small break for a few seconds. You can fish the fly all year round, but I often use intense colors like white, pink, and orange during winter and more dull colors like cream and olive during summer.
