Irish shrimps still seem to be relatively popular here in the North West of Northern Ireland. I understand they don't have the same following in other parts of the United Kingdom or the very south of the Republic of Ireland, but that is not to say they will not work there.
Even here, in Northern Ireland, the newer generations are being drawn more and more to more 'modern' patterns, tied with materials that were not as common 10 - 20 years ago. Basically then, every shrimp style fly was tied either Irish style, with a hackle for a tail and most likely Golden Pheasant, or the more Scottish preference for longtail flies tied with bucktail. These types of flies were around for a long time before the great Ally Gowans introduced his famous shrimp. Both 'Ally's Shrimp' and his later version 'The Cascade' really propelled the popularity of longtailed flies in subsequent years.
Following the rise in popularity in the UK and Ireland of Scandinavian style patterns, it wasn't long until these more mobile materials became more popular for tails on shrimp style flies. Arctic Fox became a popular material along with Arctic Runner which was made famous by Ross Macdonald's wonderful Park and Calvin's shrimp.
That is not to say that the Irish Shrimp flies are still not popular today. There are still many anglers who use very little else and still land respectable numbers of salmon every season.
The idea for this post came into my head as I thought about the Wilkinson Shrimp. I used to use the Wilkinson a lot and it was usually one of the first flies that I'd hook a salmon on every season. It seems to have fallen out of favour with me in recent times and I can't remember the last time I used one. I then got thinking, if I had to name my favourite ten Irish Shrimp flies, could I do it? I'll be honest, it turned out to be a bit of a struggle.
I eventually managed to pick 10 flies. Now, I know many people will not agree with this list as everyone will have their favourites. However, if you had these 10 flies in your box in a few different sizes, I have no doubt that you'd have a very successful season. Or, as successful as any other at least.
No. 10: The Apache Shrimp
The Apache is another that seems to divide opinions. Some love it and would fish nothing else, while others think it too bright and gaudy and would not entertain having one in their box. Invented by Bert Atkins, this pattern has taken salmon everywhere it has been fished. It will take grilse in summer and later running fish in the Autumn. I've had fish on it on everything from being tied on tubes, right down to size 14 in summer. Always worth a throw when there are fish about.
No. 9: Green Silk
I can hear the Faughan Anglers grumbling already. "The Green Silk at Number NINE!!!".
It just isn't a fly I use too often or have had a great deal of salmon on. So why include it on my list at all then? Well, purely for it's place in local angling heritage.
Designed and tied by local man, Laurence Cunningham, in the late 70's/early 80's, it was held in such high regard by anglers on the Faughan.
It is one of those flies that has caused arguments along the river about the correct shade of green to use for the rear body or the shade of badger used for the front and that was even before Jungle Cock was brought into the equation.
I read on the Salmon Fishing Forum once where the forum member had spoken to Laurence's brother about the correct shade of green to use for the body. He said the shade of green wasn''t really all that important as long as it stayed the same shade when it got wet. What he did say though, was that the pattern MUST have Jungle Cock. Without it, the fly could not and SHOULD NOT, be called a Green Silk.
So, for it's place in local angling folklore, it makes my list. An absolutely beautiful pattern that still catches fish today and works all season long.
No. 8: Wilkinson Shrimp
This is the fly that brought the idea for this blog post into my head. This used to be one of my 'go to' flies as I got more and more into fly fishing around the year 2000. I've had fish on this pattern in all sizes and was a favourite of mine tied in very small sizes in summer.
This is another that has fallen out of favour with me in recent years and I really don't know the reason why. It was very common in the past that this fly would hook me my first fish of the season. It has caught me the earliest fish I have ever landed which was in the very first week of the season in 2002.
A truly excellent fly for fresh grilse.
No 7: The Gold Bug
The Gold Bug was one of the first Shrimp flies I tried to tie. After reading Peter O'Reilly's book, it was one of the few patterns that he said didn't require Jungle Cock.
It is just such a beautiful little pattern and it really glows in a spate. The gold body shining through the orange and brown hackles, the pattern really stands out. I have caught fish on this pattern in clean and coloured water, right throughout the season. Use it with complete confidence, anytime from April to October.
No. 6: Bann Special
One of thee truly great shrimp flies. I've probably caught more fish on a Bann Special than any other pattern. It just works!
I had tied flies and caught fish on things I'd put together myself but this was the first pattern that I first really latched onto and had success with almost right away.
This is one that I am quite strict with myself on how I tie it. My own Bann Specials must have Seal's Fur bodies. The yellow seals fur, with a wee bit of brushing, gives a lovely effect under the orange middle hackle. I like to use broader oval tinsel on the rear body too and this also shines under the water giving lots of flash and contrast of colours.
If anyone is planning a trip to Ireland, make sure you have a few of these in your box. I would have no doubt that the Bann Special will take fish anywhere it is fished. A shrimp of the highest order.
If it's so popular with me, why is it only at number 6? Again, tastes change with me and things fall out of favour. In the Bann Special's case, it was just too successful. Tying on a Bann Special almost felt like cheating. I know that sounds crazy but no one can understand how my brain works and it's too difficult to explain. Tying on a Bann Special for me now is almost like admitting defeat. I'm tying on a Bann Special now just to catch a fish. It feels almost like surrendering!
Tie a few up, tie one on occasionally and if you don't catch fish, there are none there! ;)
So we've finally reached the top 5. If you only had the previous 5 in your box, there is no reason you wouldn't catch fish. Hopefully these next 5 will help get you a few more
No. 5: Orange and Copper shrimp
This was one I put together myself in the late 1990's. At that time, the 'Kylie Shrimp' was popular in Trout & Salmon magazine so this was my attempt at an Irish version of that beautiful fly. The version above is a quite recent version with a wound oval copper tinsel rear body. The original version had a flat copper tinsel body, ribbed with oval silver.
This was the first fly that I caught a salmon on in really dirty water. I went to the river one morning with a bait rod and the fly rod with me. The water was like milky tea in colour. I fished a good couple of hours but there was no sign of the water cleaning and I hadn't had a touch on the worm. I was about to go home but then thought I'd try to see if I was able to roll cast off the bank so that I could fish this spot in better water. I gave about 3 very poor roll casts, the fly was only hitting the middle of the river and no more, and just as the current started to move the fly, the line began to tighten and I managed to land a sparkling fresh fish of about 7lb.
A few years ago too there was a big spate on the river. It wasn't quite clean yet but if I'd waited until it was clean, the water would have been gone. It was dodgy enough crossing in that height of water but I managed to get to the far bank and to a pool that usually fishes well in a good spate.
As I got into the water to fish the pool, I looked up the far bank and there was a guy coming down it with a spinning rod. I didn't even know the chap owned a spinning rod as I'd only ever seen him fly fishing. He called across, "It's too big and too dirty for fly!". I called back, "If I can't fish fly, I can't fish!". We both laughed and I got the fly in the water and began casting. First cast, just to about the middle of the pool, second cast to about 3/4 of the way across the pool. Third cast, the fly just short of the far bank and the water started bringing the fly round very quickly. Upstream mend, still coming quickly. Another upstream mend just to slow thing down a bit more and as the fly reached the middle of the river the line went tight and I had a fish on. It wasn't that big, around 6lb, but I managed to land it and release it again with very little fuss.
I looked back upstream again to see the chap spinning and he was down on his two knees frantically trying to get a fly rod put together!!!
I hooked another 2 that day in a pool further downstream and that day will live long in the memory.
These memories are why this fly sits so high on my list.
No. 4: Green Peter Shrimp
This variant of the Green Peter Shrimp from Chris Mann's book, and given as a creation of Peter O'Reilly, has become a firm favourite of mine in recent years. I first tied it around 2016 and have hooked fish on it every season since. The middle hackle on these should be grizzle, which I don't have, so I use a speckled feather from a Jungle Cock cape instead.
I remember fishing one of my favourite pools one morning a few years ago. I had fished it through a couple of times and hadn't had a touch. I saw the first Green Peter Shrimp I'd ever tied in the box and thought I give the pool one more run through before I went home. I hooked and landed 2 grilse before I even got as far as the middle of the pool.
It is a great pattern for low water on a dull day and the Sea trout seem to hammer it too.
Not a famous fly in any way, and I'm sure many reading this will only be seeing and hearing of the fly for the first time, but it definitely has become a firm favourite of mine.
No 3: Red & Gold Shrimp
This was, without doubt, my absolute favourite fly for September and October. I first became aware of this pattern in Peter O'Reilly's book, Trout & Salmon Flies of Ireland. I remember reading the book and seeing the remarks that many of those who used the pattern believed a fish couldn't swim past it in September. Or something along this lines. I wasn't long in tying one and had success on it almost right away.
It is such a simple fly to tie too with only one body section tied the full length of the shank and the two hackles at the front. It was only in recent years when looking over the book again, that I noticed that the fly should have had veilings. So, I hadn't really tied a Red & Gold shrimp at all but a variant of one.
Regardless of the veilings, this is a top notch fly for late in the season and well worth a cast from September on.
No. 2: Curry's Red Shrimp
Without question, thee most famous Irish shrimp that has ever existed. The granddaddy of them all. Genesis for every Irish shrimp that has been created since. Pat Curry's famous Red Shrimp.
This was the fly I always wanted to tie properly growing up. This was a fly I held, and still hold, in the highest of regard.
Even before I'd seen one, I'd heard of it. When I was young and spinning the river, I'd hear the old hands talking of Green Silks, Fiery Browns and Curry's Reds. They were talked about almost with reverence.
I'd seen the pattern in fishing magazines during the 90's and had tried a few but veilings were such a hassle to tie in and get sitting correct. It is only relatively recently that I have begun to be happy with my own Curry's Reds and was so embarrassed by my attempts in the past that I wouldn't even call them Curry's Reds.
One that I would have no trouble fishing right throughout the season with complete confidence. A stunning pattern and a great catcher of fish. So, why does it only come in at number 2? It was a very tough call between it and eventual number one. Purely because I use the other more often was main reason for it to come out on top.
Purely, because of the regard I hold it in, that it annoys me so much when I see people leaving out veilings or using red middle hackles or some other nonsense, in someway trying to improve perfection. Another reason is that I just don't use it enough to call it my favourite fly. However, there is no other fly that I hold in as high regard.
No. 1: The Foxford Shrimp
As I said, my number 1 could very easily have been the Curry's Red. However, out of all the shrimp flies, I probably use the Foxford more than any other.
It seems to work in all heights and colours of water and seems to work from the start to the end of the season.
I hadn't seen,or heard of, the Foxford Shrimp until I got Peter O'Reilly's book in the late 1990's. Looking through the pictures in the book, it didn't really jump out at me either. It was only when I actually read the book and the comments attached to the fly that I began tying it. What a fly it turned out to be.
I'll hold my hands up here. It would appear that I have never actually tied a Foxford shrimp at all. Since having had contact with the great Robert Gillespie, a man with a great depth of knowledge of both angling and the flies themselves, it appears that the front hackle colour of the Fosford is vitally important. It must be a nice rich ginger colour. Had I have known this from day one, my OCD for fly correctness would not have allowed me to attempt the fly. It was the remarks in O'Reilly's book that. I felt, gave me wriggle room to use a brown front hackle as I didn't have any ginger.
The remarks were as follows. "... the front hackle colour is important, being a rich gleaming ginger shade - almost cinnamon in colour - often found in a farmyard Cockerell. Some anglers prefer to use a dark chocolate brown or a furnace hackle as the front hackle." I took the last part of that quote to mean, use whatever brown hackle you had. It appears that this should not have been the case.
So all these years I've been tying variants of the Foxford Shrimp and have never actually tied a proper one. I know some people will scoff at that like it's not important but just as Jungle Cock was important to Laurence Cunningham and his Green Silk, the front hackle of a Foxford is an integral part of that pattern and one that should be respected. I will tie a proper one someday.
So there we have it. My ten favourite Irish Shrimp flies. If you haven't used an Irish Shrimp for your fishing, pick any of those above and give them a try. Why not use a dropper setup with your favourite fly on the point and one of those above on the dropper and see how things go? As I said at the beginning, I have no doubt that any of these flies will take salmon on any river they are fished, anywhere in the world.
Now, as I said, I narrowed this down to ten but it could easily have been 15 or 20. Here are a couple that just missed out.
One I tied in recent years, I feel, looks well and I have had fish on it but it's not one I've used too often so could not include it over any of those above. A shrimp fly tied using the colours of the Kinermony Killer Flamethrower pattern made popular by Duncan Egan.
Another excellent pattern that just missed out was the McCormick's Shrimp. A very dark pattern that still catches fish when brighter flies seem to miss out. I would class it as an end of season pattern but apparently it is a very good fly for spring also.
The McCormick's is slightly different than most Irish Shrimps in that it uses two tails. A first tail of claret bucktail is then cloaked by a dyed claret GP feather.
Again, the only reason that this missed out on the top 10 is that I don't use it as often as I should.
So, there you have it. I started out with a top 10 and ended up giving a dozen top class salmon flies that will catch Atlantic Salmon no matter where in the world they are tried.
Tie one on any fish any of them with complete confidence.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.
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