The Perfect Leo Shrimp by Kern Leo Lund from Denmark had a big impact on the way we tie our sea trout shrimps today. There has been of course many realistic shrimp patterns but in my mind this was the pattern that started to make them appear in most fishermen’s flyboxes.
The pattern is actually not as complicated as it may seem. The only difficult thing with these flies is to get correct proportions and to tie the legs symmetrically. Here’s a pink variation of the pattern and also the way I like to tie them which differs a bit from the original. Still pretty close to Leo’s shrimp so I’ve decided to call it a variation, also because I absolutely hate naming fly patterns.
Perfect Leo Shrimp variation
Hook: Ahrex NS150 Curved Shrimp #4-8
Thread: UNI Mono Fine/Clear
Weight: Lead wire 0.20mm
Dubbing: Super Bright – Fl. Pink, and SLF Saltwater – Sand (Change colors for a more realistic look)
Mouth: Teal flank feather
Eyes: Easy Shrimp Eyes – Black
Flash/Antennaes: Wapsi Midge Flash – Pearl
Legs/Tail: Clear Rubber legs
Back: The Fly Co. Grizzly Craft Fur – Tan (Used only the white fibers) coated with UV resin.
