[B.C.TroutHunter]

Do prawn and/or shrimps swim with their tails leading and legs dangling behind (like a fleeing crayfish) or with the head first (like a mayfly nymph swims)?

[vices]

B.C. as far as I know they swim like crayfish.. but I assume your asking cause your tying some.. ? If so I have caught fish on them tied either way, I do prefer tying them with the tail at the eye.. eyes on the bend.. I wish I could post pic's.. hope that helps..

[TroutBum]

BC,
They swim backwards just like crayfish. I see them all the time when I'm wading the flats.

[Kingfisher]

One exception are mantis shrimp, which are technically not shrimp at all (but are really bad @$$ crustaceans, nonetheless); they swim forwards, and very quickly, I might add.

[B.C.TroutHunter]

So if you tie a clawless cray pattern on a saltwater you can have a shrimp or prawn pattern?

[Steelheader69]

Actually, some of the sandshrimp here will seem to float forward. But will flee tail first like most. But if you're going to tie them, tie them like normal, with the tail at the eye of the hook.

You don't need the claws when you're making a stripping pattern here in the NW. I'll add them when I'm free drifting them in rivers imitating crawfish. But when I'm in the main rivers with salt mix, or in the harbors, I delete the claws. I just add extra krystal flash for the antenae. I actually tie what I call a revised GP (but a well known NW fly angler told me it's more considered my own fly how I tie it) works quite well and an aggressive salmon will hammer it.

[B.C.TroutHunter]

Thanks for the tips guys.

SH69, what is a GP?

[Steelheader69]

Sorry. GP is the General Practitioner.