GT's High Water Shrimp

This blog post was inspired by a beautiful first day of September, 2020 morning.  Brodie and I were out enjoying the cool Vermont air.  Our little wildflower meadow is really blooming; I took a couple photos of all the yellows and oranges popping out:

Even the Monarchs were enjoying the morning and the meadow!

All that orange got me thinking about the autumn salmon season on the Miramichi, which, thank you very much, we Americans will not be enjoying this year.  And because the reason for that (closed border) will likely save lives, it is fine with me.   But that doesn't mean I can't think about fall salmon fishing.   And I can still tie fall flies for another time!

Back in 2016, I developed a shrimp (sticklers might say Grub) pattern for the fall Atlantic salmon season on the Miramichi.   That September, I hooked and lost - when it jumped and came down on the tippet - probably the largest salmon I've ever come to grips with.  We were fishing in wicked high water. My friend and fine guide Renate Bullock was there when it happened.  She asked me what the fly was...I replied that it had no name because it hadn't - until now - hooked a fish (Yup, I'm one of those that doesn't name a new pattern until it has proven itself on the river).   I showed her another copy of the fly, since the one I had on was either heading for the ocean or upriver in a very large salmon's lip, and she proclaimed it "GT's High Water Shrimp."   So be it!

Fishing in high water again in 2019, I gave the High Water Shrimp another shot at fooling a fish.  Sure enough, we hooked a nice big hen together:

Here's how I tie GT's High Water Shrimp.   The materials:

A couple/three notes on the materials:

      Orange guinea hen - it is VERY easy to buy orange-dyed guinea hen that is WAY too big for this fly.    I bought a pack from just about every vendor on the planet.  All way to big.  It wasn't until I ordered a pack from Shadow Lake Sports on ebay that I hit gold.  Perfect size for the size 4 and 2 salmon hooks I tie it on.  Contact is aydoiron@nb.sympatico.ca.

      The dubbing - I'm a sucker for anything Irish (thank you, Bridget).  Frankie McPhillips Burnt Orange dubbing is tough to make into a noodle for a dubbing loop, but the color is on the money.  Interestingly, Frankie McPhillips is located in the same town as is Bridget's ancestral family farm.

     The ONLY oval tinsel I use is Lagartun.  I've tried the rest; it is simply the best, at least in my fingers and on my flies.

So, the recipe:

Hook - size 2 and 4 heavy up-eye salmon
Tag - Lagartun small oval gold tinsel
Tail - PB or bucktail dyed hot orange; 3 or 4 strands orange krystal flash over.
Butt - Black UV Ice Dubbing
Rear hackle - orange guinea hen wrapped
Body - Burnt Orange dubbing
Ribbing - Lagartun small oval gold tinsel
Front hackle - orange guinea hen wrapped
Head - 14/0 Gordon Griffiths orange Sheer thread

Here's my method of tying the fly:

Tie in the oval gold tinsel and wrap the tag:

Tie in the PB/krystal flash tail:

Tie in the black Ice Dub butt:

Wrap the rear guinea hen hackle:

Dub the body and wrap the ribbing (yup, I like it ragged and fuzzy):

Wrap the front guinea hen hackle, finish the head and add the Cellire.  You done!

Now go drag it through some big, heavy Atlantic salmon water and hang on!

Cheers,
Gary