Saturday 20 November 2010

Fast, deep water calls for heavy flies, especially when targetting grayling. As the temperatures start to decrease, the need to get down to the fish increases. I enjoy fishing heavy bugs. OK, it's not summer-evening dryfly fishing, but trundling (sometimes dredging!) bugs through the flows and watching the leader hesitate as the flies are picked up can be alot of fun. Further, it can be very, very effective.

Over the last couple of seasons I have been using tungsten backed shrimps for some of my fishing. Whilst they are not suitable for every situation, they allow you to get deep with a very suggestive imitation. Even a small fly packs the weight - and the larger versions - well they are nothing short of a depth charge. Kick sample the rivers and streams you fish and you'll find the average freshwater shrimp (Gammarus Pulex) is actually pretty small. Therefore, these heavy weight shrimp backs have a place in any river fisher's fly box; especially those early season and grayling fishers.







Hook: Partridge YK4G
Thread; Moser Powersilk 10/0, olive
Legs: Grey squirrel
Ballast: Tungsten shrimp backs.

These are also well worth a swim with pink or olive tungsten backs.

~Dave

4 comments:

Lou DiGena said...

Dave are you holding the Tungsten shrimp backs only with the Power Silk?

I love it dead simple and brilliant, thanks.

Dave Wiltshire said...

I dub the body first, smooth down the fibres and apply a small amount of super glue. I then place the tungsten back on and then use the powersilk to secure.

I have been using superglue gel more recently as it doesn't wick into the materials in the same way.

I appreciate some people hate superglue when tying, but it gives you extra security. I have fished ied and fished them with just powersilk, but they are less durable.

Hope that helps,
~D

Unknown said...

Dave, you're always on the money; fished the upper Taff today and could have done with some of these to get down fast in the current.
Glad you've 'outed' the superglue issue, folks I tie with get all precious on this issue (ahem, they don't fish as much as they used to). Personally, I like to have my flies last the distance and a bit of the 'modern' stuff doesn't half help the structural integrity, it's only fancy head cement after all.
Great work as always!
TL's, Toby

Dave Wiltshire said...

Thanks Toby ;)