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If you had to distill saltwater flats fishing down to one word, it would be shrimp. Bonefish eat shrimp. Redfish eat shrimp. Permit eat shrimp (and crabs, but mostly shrimp). Snook eat shrimp. Seatrout eat shrimp. The entire food web of the tropical and subtropical flat revolves around crustaceans, and the fly angler who understands which shrimp pattern to use, when to use it, and how to present it will outfish the angler throwing a generic Clouser every time.
This guide covers the five essential shrimp patterns that belong in every saltwater fly box, from subsurface stalking flies for tailing bonefish to the Popping Shrimp that brings redfish and snook to the surface. Each pattern occupies a specific niche in the crustacean imitation spectrum, and together they cover every scenario you'll encounter on the flats.
1. EP Spawning Shrimp, The Universal Flats Shrimp
Enrico Puglisi changed saltwater fly tying when he developed his translucent EP Fiber system, synthetic materials that mimic the semi-transparent bodies of real crustaceans in a way that natural materials can't. The EP Spawning Shrimp is the crown jewel of that system: a shrimp pattern so realistic that permit, the most selective fish on the flats, eat it with confidence.
Recipe
| Component | Material |
|---|---|
| Hook | Saltwater, #4-1/0 (Gamakatsu SC15 or SL12S) |
| Thread | Matching 140 denier |
| Eyes | Bead chain (shallow) or small dumbbell (deeper), mounted underneath |
| Body | EP Fiber brush, tan, coyote, pink, or olive |
| Egg sack | Small tuft of orange EP Fiber near the bend (spawning imitation) |
| Weed guard | 20 lb mono loop |
How to Tie It
The EP Spawning Shrimp is tied differently from most flies, you wrap EP Fiber brushes (pre-made fiber on a wire core) around the shank to build a translucent, three-dimensional body. The process:
Step 1: Mount eyes underneath the shank near the eye (the fly rides hook-up). Bead chain for skinny water, small dumbbells for deeper flats.
Step 2: Tie in a small tuft of orange EP Fiber at the bend, the egg sack. This is the spawning trigger that makes the fly more than a generic shrimp.
Step 3: Attach the EP Fiber brush at the bend. Wrap it forward in touching turns, building up layers of translucent fiber around the shank. Each wrap adds dimension. The fibers should extend outward in all directions, creating a bushy cylinder.
Step 4: After wrapping to behind the eyes, trim the fiber to a tapered shrimp shape, wide at the thorax, narrow at the tail and head. The key is leaving the material long enough to be translucent (you should see light through the body) but short enough to hold its shape.
Step 5: Add a mono weed guard from the eye to the hook point. Whip finish.
The construction is more sculpture than traditional fly tying, you're shaping the material into a shrimp profile rather than layering components. It takes 10-15 minutes per fly, but the realism is unmatched.
Colors and Sizes
Tan (#4-6), The universal color. Works on every flat, every species. Matches grass shrimp, sand shrimp, and most tropical crustaceans. If you only carry one EP Shrimp, carry tan.
Coyote (#4-6), A mottled tan-brown with guard hairs that add texture and a darker back. The most realistic color for natural substrate matching.
Pink/Orange (#4-1/0), The spawning shrimp color. The orange egg mass near the tail triggers aggressive strikes from bonefish and permit that are keying on reproductive shrimp.
Olive (#4-6), For grass flats where shrimp take on a green tint from the vegetation.
Where to Fish It
The EP Spawning Shrimp is the #1 shrimp pattern on the planet. Florida Keys guides carry it for bonefish and permit. Hawaiian guides use it alongside the Spam and Eggs for deeper rocky flats. Bahamas, Belize, Christmas Island, Seychelles, anywhere bonefish or permit swim, the EP Shrimp catches them.
2. The Gotcha, The Easiest Bonefish Fly Ever Tied
The Gotcha is the San Juan Worm of saltwater, absurdly simple, absurdly effective, and absurdly popular. Created in the Bahamas, it's a sparse baitfish/shrimp crossover pattern with a pearl body, craft fur or calf tail wing, and bead chain eyes. It's the first fly most flats guides reach for because it's small enough to not spook fish, heavy enough to sink quickly, and flashy enough to get noticed.
Recipe
| Component | Material |
|---|---|
| Hook | Saltwater, #4-8 (TMC 811S or similar) |
| Thread | Pink or tan 6/0 |
| Eyes | Bead chain, small-medium |
| Body | Pearl Krystal Flash or diamond braid, wrapped |
| Wing | Tan or pink craft fur or calf tail, sparse |
How to Tie It
Step 1: Mount bead chain eyes on top of the shank with figure-eight wraps. Small chain for #8, medium for #6, large for #4.
Step 2: Wrap pearl Krystal Flash or diamond braid rearward to the bend, then forward to behind the eyes. This creates the shiny, translucent body that catches light underwater.
Step 3: Flip the hook (or rotate vise). Tie in a sparse clump of tan or pink craft fur on what's now the top, this becomes the belly when the fly rides hook-up. The craft fur should extend to about the hook bend.
Step 4: Whip finish. Apply a drop of head cement. Done, 90 seconds, start to finish.
The Gotcha is the fly you tie a dozen of the night before a trip because they're cheap, fast, and expendable. Lose one on coral? Tie another. A fish chews through the craft fur? Tie another. The materials cost pennies and you can produce a full box in an hour.
When to Use It vs. the Crazy Charlie
The Gotcha and Crazy Charlie occupy similar space in the box. The difference: the Gotcha is fluffier (craft fur vs. calf tail) and has more built-in movement. The Charlie is slimmer and flashier. Use the Gotcha when fish are feeding actively and not being selective, the extra movement draws attention. Use the Charlie when they're spooky and you need a minimal, precise profile. Most Bahamian guides carry both and switch based on the fish's mood.
The pink Gotcha phenomenon. Like the pink Crazy Charlie, the pink Gotcha catches bonefish far beyond what its color should logically produce. Pink doesn't match any known shrimp species on most flats. Yet pink Gotchas consistently outfish tan and white versions on certain days, certain tides, certain flats, with no discernible pattern. Carry pink. Don't ask why.
3. The Borski Slider, The Wind-Proof Shrimp
Tim Borski designed the Slider for days when the wind makes traditional shrimp patterns impossible to cast. The epoxy-coated head and compact profile cut through wind that would send an EP Shrimp spinning. The trade-off is movement, the Slider is stiffer than the EP Shrimp, with less lifelike action in the water. But on a 25-knot day in the Keys, castability trumps movement.
Recipe
| Component | Material |
|---|---|
| Hook | Saltwater, #2-6 |
| Thread | Tan or olive |
| Eyes | Lead dumbbell, painted |
| Tail | Tan or olive craft fur with rubber legs |
| Body | Tan dubbing or EP Fiber |
| Head | Deer hair, trimmed and coated with epoxy or UV resin |
How to Tie It
Step 1: Mount painted lead eyes on the underside of the shank, heavy enough to sink the fly and flip it hook-up.
Step 2: Tie in tan or olive craft fur at the bend with rubber legs splayed out on each side. Add a few strands of flash. The tail should be about one shank length.
Step 3: Dub a body of tan EP Fiber or similar dubbing forward to behind the eyes.
Step 4: Spin a small clump of deer hair in front of the dubbing, pack it tight, and trim to a flattened head shape, wide on the sides, flat on the bottom.
Step 5: Coat the deer hair head with thin epoxy or UV resin. This is what makes the Slider, the hard, aerodynamic head cuts through wind and slices into the water with minimal splash.
When to Use It
Wind days. When the EP Shrimp is catching sail instead of fish, the Slider's compact profile and weighted head deliver accurate casts in 25-knot winds. The epoxy head is the key, it's dense, aerodynamic, and doesn't absorb water like an uncoated deer hair fly.
Permit. The heavy eyes sink the Slider fast, and the hard head makes a subtle "tick" when it hits the bottom that permit investigate. Many Keys guides consider it their #1 permit fly ahead of Merkin crabs because it casts better and sinks faster.
Deeper flats. When bonefish are cruising in 3-4 feet of water and bead-chain flies aren't reaching the bottom, the Slider's weight gets it into the zone where light patterns float overhead unseen.
4. The Popping Shrimp, Topwater Crustacean
The Popping Shrimp bridges the gap between shrimp flies and topwater flies. It's a Gurgler-style foam fly modified to look and act like a fleeing shrimp on the surface, complete with rubber legs, a shrimp-colored body, and an optional internal rattle that mimics the snapping sound real shrimp make when they flee.
Recipe
| Component | Material |
|---|---|
| Hook | Saltwater, #1-4 (Gamakatsu SC15 or B10S) |
| Thread | Tan or white 140 denier |
| Tail | Tan craft fur with rubber legs and pearl flash |
| Body | Palmered hackle over cactus chenille or Estaz |
| Foam | 2-3mm tan or pink foam strip, folded over as Gurgler-style lip |
| Optional | Small glass rattle tied along the shank |
How to Tie It
Step 1: If using a rattle, tie the small glass rattle tube along the underside of the shank first, securing it with thread wraps and CA glue.
Step 2: Tie in tan craft fur at the bend with rubber legs splayed on each side. Add 4-6 strands of pearl flash. The tail should extend about 1.5 shank lengths, longer than a subsurface shrimp because the surface presentation gives a wider silhouette.
Step 3: Tie in cactus chenille or Estaz and a hackle feather at the bend. Wrap the Estaz forward, then palmer the hackle through it, identical to the Gurgler construction.
Step 4: Cut a strip of tan or pink 2-3mm foam about 1.5x shank length. Tie it in at the bend behind the body, extending rearward. Pull the foam forward over the body and tie down behind the hook eye. The foam should extend 3-5mm past the eye, creating the lip that catches water and makes the gurgling/popping sound.
Step 5: Trim the foam lip to shape. Whip finish. The finished fly looks like a Gurgler in shrimp colors, foam on top, hackle underneath, craft fur tail with legs.
How to Fish It
The popping cork technique. Here's the secret weapon: tie a 2-3 foot dropper off the bend of the Popping Shrimp hook and attach a small, weighted shrimp fly (EP Shrimp or Gotcha) to the dropper. The Popping Shrimp acts like a popping cork, it creates surface disturbance that attracts fish, while the subsurface shrimp below it gets eaten. This rig mimics exactly what conventional anglers do with popping corks and live shrimp, but on a fly rod. Seatrout and redfish absolutely destroy this setup.
Solo presentation. Without the dropper, strip the Popping Shrimp with short, aggressive pops followed by long pauses. The foam lip gurgles and pushes water on the strip, then the fly sits motionless on the pause, a shrimp that panicked and is now trying to hide. Redfish, snook, and juvenile tarpon eat it on the pause.
Where to Fish It
The Popping Shrimp is a Texas Coast and Florida Keys specialty. Redfish in the marsh, seatrout on the grass flats, snook under mangroves, any shallow saltwater where fish eat shrimp and will come to the surface. It's the topwater fly that connects the shrimp world to the Gurgler and Miyawaki Popper world.
5. The Mantis Shrimp Pattern, Hawaii's Secret
We covered this in depth in the Spam and Eggs guide, but it belongs in any comprehensive shrimp roundup. Hawaiian bonefish eat mantis shrimp, larger, more aggressive crustaceans than the grass shrimp of the Caribbean. The Spam and Eggs with its top-mounted rubber legs, tan dubbing, and orange egg sack is the pattern. If you're fishing Hawaiian flats, it's mandatory.
Matching the Shrimp to the Situation
| Situation | Pattern | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tailing bonefish, calm water | EP Spawning Shrimp #6, bead chain | Soft landing, realistic profile |
| Cruising bonefish, moderate depth | Crazy Charlie or Gotcha #6 | Fast sink, flash to attract |
| Permit on the flat | EP Spawning Shrimp #4, dumbbell eyes | Realistic, sinks fast, weed guard |
| Windy day, any species | Borski Slider #4 | Castable in 25+ knots |
| Redfish in the marsh | Popping Shrimp #2, with dropper | Topwater attraction + subsurface eat |
| Hawaiian bonefish | Spam and Eggs #4-6 | Mantis shrimp specific |
| Puget Sound cutthroat | Euphausiid/krill pattern #8-10 | Small, translucent, slow strip |
How to Fish Shrimp Flies, Universal Principles
Lead the fish. Shrimp flies are sight-fishing flies. Cast 6-10 feet ahead of a cruising or tailing fish. Let the fly sink to the bottom before the fish arrives. Don't cast on top of the fish, the splash spooks them.
Short strips, not long pulls. Real shrimp move in short, panicked bursts, 2-4 inches at a time. Then they freeze. Then another burst. Your retrieve should mirror this: strip-strip-pause, strip-strip-pause. The pauses are when the fly sits on the bottom looking helpless, and when most eats happen.
Match the weight to the water. Bead chain for water under 12 inches. Small dumbbells for 1-3 feet. Medium dumbbells for 3-6 feet. The fly needs to reach the bottom before the fish reaches the fly.
Color matches the bottom. Tan on sand. Olive on grass. Brown on mud. Pink when nothing else works. The shrimp's natural camouflage matches its habitat, your fly should too.
How to Tie Them, Video Tutorials
EP Spawning Shrimp: EP Spawning Shrimp for Redfish and Bonefish, Enrico Puglisi's brush system demonstrated step by step.
Gotcha: Pacific Angler's Gotcha tutorial, Simple, fast, effective.
Popping Shrimp: Popping Shrimp step-by-step, The Gurgler-style shrimp with rattle option.
Borski Slider: Tim Borski's Slider tutorial, Deer hair head, epoxy coating, the wind-proof shrimp.
Mantis Shrimp (Spam and Eggs): See our dedicated Spam and Eggs tying guide, the Hawaiian bonefish mantis shrimp pattern with full recipe and step-by-step.
Build Your Box
- EP Spawning Shrimp, tan #6 (6), universal bonefish/permit
- EP Spawning Shrimp, coyote #4 (4), deeper water, permit
- Gotcha, tan #6 (6), quick-tie backup, active fish
- Gotcha, pink #6 (4), the inexplicable hot color
- Popping Shrimp, tan #2 (4), redfish/snook topwater
- Borski Slider, tan #4 (4), wind days
That's 28 flies covering every shrimp scenario from Hawaiian mantis shrimp flats to Texas marsh redfish to Bahamian bonefish sand. Combined with the Crazy Charlie and Spam and Eggs from our individual guides, the complete crustacean box is built.
