Grizzly Shrimp Pattern

[IrishFloatTube]

Does anybody happen to have the pattern for tying the Grizzly Shrimp created, by float tuber Del Canty, Co.

AFAIK It used to be a popular pattern in largish sizes about 10 years ago with a good record for catching big rainbows on Flaming Gorge .
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[Saberfish]

There is a grizzly shrimp fly, but it's a large salt water tie.

Where did you get the word that Del Canty fished with a fly by that name?

Del made a name for himself at Flaming Gorge during the 1970's when there were many large brown and rainbow trout living there. He fished with a fly rod from a float tube. In fact, he still holds some state records with his successful catches.

Del developed connections with fly shops, float tube manufacturers, conservation organizations, and did shows related to those organizations.

I don't ever remember seeing anything that showed or gave a list of his productive flies. If you have something, I would be interested in seeing it.
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[IrishFloatTube]

Hi Saberfish.
My searches keep coming up with the saltwater shrimp too, but this is a completely different fly.

I have a couple of mag articles about Del about 1980 period and the flies referred to were xxl long shank and (later on) tandem streamer fish imitations .... matukas, zonkers.
Also largish buggy imitations like high viz (night fishing) woolly worm, woolly bugger, and the grizzly shrimp.

I was hoping someone in the Gorge area might still know the pattern for his shrimp.
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[Saberfish]

Unless there is someone still around the Gorge that was there during the Canty era, or maybe an older owner of a fly shop in Colorado, who remembers the pattern, I can't think of any other information source.

I was fishing the Flaming Gorge at that time, but had mackinawitis, and was dragging steel for the critters. All of my fly fishing/fly tying gear had been shelved until I recovered.

I think the Mr Canty lived in Grand Junction, but I'm not sure of that either.
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[Dryrod]

[center][font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4] Click on the text to enlarge the print.[/size][/#008000][/font]
[inline "Del Canty.jpg"]
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[IrishFloatTube]

Yes - that's the Grizzly Shrimp I'm after. Surely it must have been a well known local pattern after producing results like that?
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[Dryrod]

[font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]I looked around but likewise couldn't find a pattern. So why not just use a Marabou Shrimp? After all it's the color that maybe the appealing factor.[/size][/#008000][/font]
[inline "Marabou shrimp.JPG"]
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[IrishFloatTube]

There's a lot of shrimp patterns and I already have some I rely on, and a few "experimental cases".

When this pattern made it's reputation there were huge trout mainly eating chub for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Gorge. The standard trick to get in among them was to tow Rapalas behind a boat.
What intrigues me is that the float tubing guys managed to find imitative patterns that serious meat eating trout would take the time to lunch on.
I also find it interesting that as the monster FG trout faded away so did the reputation of this particular fly.
So not only was it good for really big uns, but it was possibly unexceptional for more ordinary sized trout, compared to the other patterns that replaced it as time passed.
A pattern (or size) that was more effective as the fish got bigger? A bug - not a fish imitation.
So my curiosity got aroused.
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[Saberfish]

I have one more idea.

A major fly tier, casting instructor, shop owner, author, etc. Mr. A. K. Best has been involved in the Colorado fishing scene for many years.

In the back of my old mind, I seem to remember that he has moved to the Boise, Idaho area in the last few years.

I think if you could find him, he could give you some directions to solve your quest.

I know that Mr Best is still active in the tying world, he was at the Idaho Falls fly show a couple months ago.

Wish that I had a current location for you, but maybe there is one on the net.
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[IrishFloatTube]

Thanks for the suggestion.
I'll let you know how I get on.
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[Scruffy_Fly]

Some one mentioned that they thought that Del Canty was from Grand Junction Colorado.

You might try asking the TU organization there if they know anything. They do have a good fly tying clinic there every year.

[url "http://grand-valley-anglers.org/default.aspx"]http://grand-valley-anglers.org/default.aspx[/url]

or you might email
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[IrishFloatTube]

Good idea. I will follow that suggestion up also. Thx.
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[Chester]

Wow, the grizzly shrimp!

I have been fishing it for years and had never heard it mentioned anywhere. Whenever I showed it anyone, I usually just get funny looks, but it does catch fish.

In the late eighties I was fishing the Hams Fork and met a local fly fisherman named Martin Hanguich from Kemmerer. Martin was a photographer by profession. He was also an avid fly fisher who fished the Green River from Flaming Gorge in the south to the Green River lakes in the north as well as every tributary and lake in between. The local paper often carried pictures quite regularly of Martin with big fish he had caught. He was a float tuber who fished from a tube well into his seventies. Great person and a master fisherman.

Any way on that particular night I watched Martin land two huge trout, a brown and rainbow. I asked him what kind of fly he was using, and he showed me a fly he called a grizzly shrimp. It was a large fly and he fished it deep. As the conversation continued, I mentioned that I was just learning to tie flies and he invited me over to his house for a lesson on tying this pattern. I jumped at the opportunity to be schooled by a master. He showed me how to tie two variations of the fly. I have been using it ever since. About a year later we met on the river again and he had a new pattern called a sparrow, and we had another tutorial that night. I've never tied or used it, but I might just have to dig it out and try it next spring. My son always makes sure I have some grizzly shrimp tied up when we head to that part of the country.

I don't know if this is the same pattern that Del Canty created, but here it is:

hook: various..straight shank, to roe hooks
size: 2-10
thread: black
tail: grey squirrel tail
abdomen: chenille - yellow,red,orang,green...
legs: grizzly dle hackle
shell: grey squirrel tail

Instructions:
cover hook with thread,
tie in hackle 1/3 of the way up the shank
attach chenille and wrap forward leaving plenty of room for the head.
palmer hackle through chenille tie off and clip.
attach squirrel tail at bend of hook
seperate hackle and fold down to create legs
bring squirrel tail over top of fly to create shell
secure shell at head
wrap nice big head
cement head.

Variations: use red squirrel tail with brown dle hackle

Hint: trim head at an angle and apply head cement to hold head better.

That was probably confusing. I'll see about posting some pics if I can get the kids to help me.

If you would like a sample or two PM me your address and I'll send you a couple.

Chester
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[IrishFloatTube]

Confusing? Not at all.
That is exactly what I am looking for, Chester.
Thanks for the informative reply.

Norm
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[macfly55]

[red]maybe it is just me.. but I keep reading that you add the squirrel tail after you have already brought your thread up to the eye.. and after you have palmered the hackle..

how is this done? wouldnt you have to bring the thread back over the hackle to the bend in the hook..l.. tie in the tail.. then bring the thread back to the eye.. over the hackle again.. and then comlete the fly??

MacFly [cool][/red]
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[Chester]

No, not you at all.

I know most all patterns work from tail to head, but after he tied down the palmered hackle he cut the thread moved back and attached the thread again, secured the tail, cut the thread again. Attached the thread in front of the hackle, pulled the hackle down for legs, pulled squirrel over to create a shell, secured squirrel with a few of wraps, trimmed at an angle, added a drop of head cement to the hair, finish the head, then more head cement on head and tail attachment(keeps the hair in place longer).

Alot of on and off with the thread, but that is how he did it.

I have tried to attach the tail first, but it is really cumbersome to try and attach/wrap the hackle/chennile with the squirrel tail in the way.

I have tried to wind the thread back through the palmered hackle, attach the taill and then go back through the palmer with the thread again. Its a pain, but I have done it. The palmered hackle just gets pressed down by the shell to create the legs, so it doesn't have to look real pretty.

Seems to be less hassle to cut and reattach the thread.

This is a rather large fly so I use heavy thread and cinch it down tight.

Anyone know of a better order for this fly?

I'm always up for suggestions...

Chester
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[macfly55]

you are right in as much as it sounds kind of like a lot of back and forth.. but then again I can imagine the mess if you tie it all in first and work from there.. I am the newbie at this so hopefully our more experienced tyers (such as yourself) will post their thoughts on this..

MacFly [cool]
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