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Saltwater Fly Patterns


Brook's Shrimp 

Hook: Mustad 34011 Brooks shrimp
Size: 4
Thread: 3/0 white
Weed guard: 25 lb. monofilament (optional)
Antennae: Small bit of white dubbing, 2 strands of black Krystal Flash or two dark horse hairs
Feelers: 6- 8 strands of white marabou
Rostrum: bleached deer body hair
Claws: grizzly neck hackle pair
Eyes: Mono nymph eyes
Carapace: Swiss straw, white
Legs: crystal chenillle, white
Body: cream, white dubbing

Clouser MinnowClouser minnow

Hook: Mustad 3366 or TMC200R
Sizes 2-10 (often 4)
Thread: Chartreuse
Eyes: bead chain, or lead dumbell eyes; painted dark red with black pupils if desired.
Wing: From top to bottom: white bucktail on top, chartreuse bucktail beneath with Krystal flash as an accent. The bucktail should be about one-and-a-half times the hook length. Wrap a long, tapered head in front of the eyes. It should swim with the point up.

Crazy CharlieCrazy Charlie

Hook: Mustad 34007
Size: 4-8
Thread: White
Eyes: silver bead chain or dumbell eyes
Underbody: silver flashabou
Overbody: V-rib or monofilament
Wing: two white hackle tips and silver krystal flash

Critter Critter
Hook: Mustad 34007
Size: 2-6
Thread: White or clear nylon
Eyes: (Tied at the tail) 40 lb monofilament, melted to form eyes
Weight: (Tied at the hook eye) bead chain or dumbbell
Egg sac: Orange crystal chenille
Legs:  Brown saddle hackle
Body: Brown or olive rug yarn, tied criss-cross to the hook shank.  Trim the body to shape, then pick and comb out the rug fibers
Weed guard: (optional) 25 lb monofilament
Cypert's MinnowCypert's minnow

Hook: Mustad 34011
Size: 4 - 8
Thread: red
Eyes: Bead chain pair
Body: Chenille wrapped over the hook and around the eyes,
Tail and overbody: Mylar piping tied in at the head, folded over the top and bottom and extended as a tail

Deceiver, Lefty's

Hook: Mustad 34007 or TMC 811SLefty's deceiver
Sizes: 2-4/0
Thread: 3/0, red or white
Tail: Wide grizzly hackle tips with pearl flash
Body: Silver mylar
Underwing: White bucktail
Overwing: Peacock herl
Throat: Red Krystal flash
Eyes: White or yellow paint, with black pupils (optional)

Photo by Chris Windram/Saltwaterflies.com

EP BaitfishEP baitfish

Hook: Mustad 34007
Sizes: 2/0-8
Thread: 3/0, red or white
Gills: Red EP fibers
Top: Dark EP fibers
Bottom: Light EP fibers
Flash: EP flash or equivalent
Eyes: plastic 3D
Note:  This link has extensive tying instructions
Gotcha
Gotcha
Hook: Mustad 34007
Sizes: 2-8
Thread: 3/0, red or white
Tail: Pearl braided Mylar
Body: Pearl braid
Wing: Tan craft fur
Flash: Krystal flash
Eyes: Silver or black bead chain
Note:  This link has extensive tying instructions
Photo by Chris Windram/Saltwaterflies.com
Gurgler Gurgler

Hook: Mustad 34011
Sizes: 2-8
Thread: 3/0, white, black or grey
Tail: Bucktail or marabou
Flash: Krystal flash
Body: Saddle hackle, palmered
Overwing: 2 or 3 mm grey craft foam, tied in at the tail, pulled over the body and tied off.
Horror
Horror
Hook: Mustad 34007
Sizes: 4-8
Thread: 3/0, red or black
Body: Yellow chenille
Wing: Brown bucktail or craft fur
Eyes: Silver bead chain
Note:  This is a very simple pattern to tie.
JP's minnow JP's minnow

Hook: Mustad 34011
Sizes: 1/0-6
Thread: 3/0, white or black
Underwing: White bucktail or equivalent
Overwing: Olive bucktail or equivalent
Throat:  Orange or red hackle fibers
Head: Tungsten cone (optional)
Note:  Tying instructions can be found here.
Merkin crab
Merkin crab
Hook: Mustad 34007
Sizes: 1/0-4
Thread: 3/0, olive or brown
Tail: Grizzly, brown or olive saddle hackle
Body: Olive or brown rug yarn, tied criss-cross and trimmed to shape
Legs: White rubber legs
Eyes: Bead chain or dumbbell
Note:  Tying instructions can be found here.

PopperPopper

Hook: Mustad 34007
Size: 2-6
Thread: 3/0 wrapped on hook before gluing body
Body: hard foam popper body
Glue: 2 ton epoxy or super glue
Paint: acrylic craft paint as desired, covered with epoxy or clear fingernail polish and turned for 24 hours to dry
Tail: White saddle hackle (tied after finish has dried)

Sand eelSand eel

Hook: Mustad 34007
Size: 1/0-2
Thread: 3/0 white or tan
Tail: Tan bucktail over white bucktail
Body: Tan yarn or chenille
Eyes: Bead chain or dumbbell

Seaducer Seaducer

Hook: Mustad 34007
Sizes: 2/0-8
Thread: 3/0, red or white
Flash: crystal flash
Tail: white saddle hackles, paired
Body: olive or grizzly saddle hackles, palmered
Collar: red saddle hackle

Scate's ShrimpScates shrimp

Hook: Mustad 34011
Size: 2-4
Thread: 3/0 white
Antennae: black marabou over white bucktail with pearl Krystal flash
Back: pearl Krystal flash
Body: white chenille
Eyes: Monofilament or plastic bead-chain eyes
Legs: Black hackle palmered through the body, with Krystal flash ends tied under the body

Spoon Fly Spoon fly

Hook: Mustad 34011 (custom bent)
Size: 4 - 8
Thread: red
Tail: rabbit hair, pink or chartreuse
Body: thread, mylar, or metallic floss covering the hook shank, metallic ribbon cut with tabs to tie off at each end
Finish: epoxy coat, rotated while drying
Weed guard (optional)

WhistlerWhistler

Hook: Mustad 34007
Size: 2/0-2
Thread: 3/0 colored to match body body
Flash: silver flashabou
Tail: bucktail or craft ur
Overwing: grizzly saddle hackles
Body: chenille
Collar: webby saddle hackle
Eyes: heavy bead chain

Woolly BuggerWooly bugger

Hook: Mustad 9672 or longer
Size:2-8
Thread: black 6/0 (2/0 for larger flies)
Weight: [optional] 20 wraps of .020 lead wire
Tail: black marabou , 4-6 strands of Krystal flash (black or gold)
Body: chenille - black
Hackle: black palmered