The St. Simons Scampi

This is a great, new red fish fly that builds upon the success of the Prawn’s Revenge.  Tie it with 3mm bead chain eyes for a light, easy casting fly for shallow water or lead eyes for fishing in deeper water.  Like the Prawn’s Revenge, the combination of barred rabbit fur, polar chenille and krystal flash provides motion even when the fly isn’t moving.   The fly rides hook point up, so it is relatively snag free.

Completed St. Simons Scampi

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Ingredients:
Size 4 Tiemco 811S, Mustad 34007 or equivalent
Spirit River Tarantula Legs, Orange, Medium
Brown, Rust Brown or Danville’s Fine Monofilament thread
Wapsi Presentation Lead Eyes, Small or X-small, Black (For a lighter, easier casting fly that works just as well in shallow water, use 3mm brass bead chain eyes.)
Krystal Flash
Hareline UV Polar Chenille UV Copper
Black and orange bar Dyed Zonker strip.

  1. Lay down a thread base.  Attach lead eyes partially down the hook bend with figure 8 wraps. 

    St. Simons Scampi, Eyes, antennae and k-flash attached

  2. Attach one Tarantula leg in front of the eye by folding it in half around the thread.
  3. Bring the legs to the rear of the eye, and secure on either side of the hook with a few thread wraps.
  4. Attach approximately 15 strands of K-flash behind the eye with strands extending one hook shank length behind the eyes, forming a tail.  Secure with thread behind the eyes.  Pull K-flash over the eyes and secure with three wraps.  Attach Polar Chenille directly in front of the K-flash.

  5. St. Simons Scampi, Body formed, chenille ready to wrap

    Body formed, chenille ready to wrap

    Wrap thread counter clockwise around the K-flash.  Wrap away from you to form the body. (The thread will continue wrapping around the K-flash)  Figure 8 wrap around the lead eyes.  Wrap forward to form the body, keeping the thread wrapped around the K-flash.   Stop short of the hook eye and tie off.  Palmer Polar Chenile forward, sweeping the fibers back so they won’t be tied down with the subsequent wraps.

    Body completely formed. Ready for the zonker strip

    Four or five wraps are all that are necessary.  Tie off and secure with half hitches or whip finish

  6. Turn the fly over in the vise, or if you have a rotating vise, rotate so hook point is up.  Cut

    Attaching the zonker strip

    off a 2” long piece of zonker strip.  Size the tail so the fiber length of the rabbit fur extends a hook shank length beyond the eyes.  Carefully pierce the leather of the zonker strip with the hook point and slide the zonker strip down on the hook bend, against the body. To control the rabbit fibers, wet your fingertips and moisten the zonker strip.  Pull the zonker strip tight toward the hook eye, and tie off.

     

    Completed St. Simons Scampi

Note:  Depending upon how full the zonker strip is, you might have to split the strip with a double edge razor blade.  You don’t want the rabbit fibers to overwhelm the fly.

  1. Attach a V style mono weed guard if desired.
  2. Wrap a neat thread head.  Apply head cement or Sally Hansen’s hard as nails and go fishing.