Mark B. Hatter

I didnt fully appreciate the gravity of very different until we arrived in Trinidad. Here, tarpon concentrate along the rugged northwestern coastline where there are no flats and the water is deep. It would be a challenge to take them on fly and would call for a major shift in fly-fishing strategy from the conventional tarpon methodology I was used to.

Carolyn's Shrimpi Fly

Many winters ago, my longtime fishing partner Charlie Madden and I ventured out to Mosquito Lagoon, a vast saltwater estuary on the east coast of central Florida, to catch a few redfish. Upon arriving, we were surprised to find a howling north wind that churned the deeper flats into a turbid soup.

Materials: Carolyn's Shrimpi Fly

Hook: Mustad 3407 or 34007, #2 to 1/0.Thread: Flat waxed nylon.Body: Chenille or rug yarn; saddle hackle palmered on top.Head: Deer or elk hair, followed by Flashabou or Krystal flash.

Tying Instructions: Carolyn's Shrimpi Fly

Step 1. At the back end of the hook shank, near the bend of a #2 to 1/0 Mustad 34007 hook (or equivalent), spin a couple dozen strands of brown or tan elk or deer hair using brown flat waxed nylon. Flare the hair at about a 45-degree angle above and below the hook shank by adjusting the tension on the thread. Next, tie in four to eight long strands of red Krystal flash. This material will imitate a shrimp's antennae. Trim the length to about 4 inches once tied in.Step 2.

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