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This is the biggest version of my "mud prawn" fly and the one that I use when chasing barramundi, flathead, grunter and fingermark in Central Queensland. I tie samller versions on #2 and #1/0 hooks and this large version on size #2/0 and #3/0 hooks. All 3 sizes provide a representation of prawn that is readily taken by all sorts of fish that eat prawns.

My preferred set up for barra is a tropical intermediate line or a fast sink line for deeper presentations and 8 feet of 30lb Maxima Ultragreen leader. I find that it's best to cast tight into or next to structure or where the fish are holding and then give the fly plenty of time to settle and then retrieve using short slow twitches with fairly long pauses.

Materials

Process

I should say at this point that between manufacturers of lead shot there is no set sizing. So whilst one manufacturer may regard 'size 3' as 6mm the next may regard 'size 2 as 6mm'. Other manufacturers measure their lead shot by weight and that is just as dodgy. The sizes I have given above for the lead shot is the diameter of the lead shot along the split.

A	Put the hook already loaded with the lead shot in the vice hook point up. Adding a lead shot to a hook shank Tie your clear monofiliment thread in behind the lead shot.

B	Tie the over-locking thread in directly behind the lead shot and tie it along the bottom of the hook shank until directly below the point of the hook. Understanding hooks

C	Build up a cone shaped body of over-locking thread directly behind the lead shot applying a little glue to the thread as you build up the body. Tie the thread off directly behind the lead shot and trim the excess Managing synthetic fibres

D	Apply a thin coat of UV epoxy to the over-locking thread gut and cure that with your UV torch.

E	Take a length of plastic bead chain eyes and with a pair of needle nose pliers squash off as many beads as required to leave you eyes that are the right width apart. For this size #2/0 fly I have removed 2 beads.

F	Tie the eyes in above the hook shank and half way between the split shot and the eye of the hook.

G	Trim the excess bead chain eyes away.

H	The Super Hair I am using is 27cm long so select about a third of the amount you will need to make a body that when wet will be roughly as thick as a pencil when it has been tripled up. In the same vain I have selected 3 strands of Krystal Flash that are 34cm long that will become the 9 strands of Krystal Flash when tripled up. I like the Krystal Flash to be evenly dispersed through the Super Hair so I do that manually whilst both are still their full length to create a "rope". I then tie the wing in in three layers. The first layer of the wing involves tieing in the mixed Super Hair and Krystal Flash rope in at the gap between the lead shot and the monofilament eyes with the remaining material laying over the lead shot and hanging out behind the fly. Apply just 1 drop of UV resin on top of the tie in of the first layer of the wing material

I	Measure up the Super Hair and Krystal Flash rope 9cm and pinch the rope directly behind that and cut the rope of the 9cm mark. Without releasing your grip in the pinch on the rope put the tips directly on top of where the second layer of the rope wing was tied in and tie this second layer of the wing in at the gap between the lead shot and the eye of the hook on top of the first layer of the wing thus doubling up the thickness of the wing. Apply just 1 drop of UV resin on top of the tie in of the first layer of the wing material The third and final layer of the wing is tied in by repeating steps 1 and 2 above.

J	Tie in a set of legs on each side of the fly "Chernobyl" style in the gap between the lead shot and the eyes. Legs on flies Wind the monofilament thread forward to behind the eye of the hook and whip finish and trim the thread.

K	Apply UV resin to the gap between the lead shot and the eye of the hook, the tie in of the legs and under the gap between the lead shot and the eye of the hook . Take care to only apply a little resin at a time and to cure that before applying more so as to avoid the resin running where you don't want it.

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