{{start}}

I designed my original pregnant prawn in 2011. That fly is tied on a #2 hook and is a corker of a fly for targeting bream, whiting and flathead.

This bigger pregnant prawn fly is one of my goto flies here in Central Queensland estuary waters. I often fish it when targeting barra, grunter, jacks and flathead in estuary and harbour waters but it's not unusual to hook up on queenfish, travally or other fish that eat prawns.

This is a 90 mm fly is as thick as a lead pencil, and is tied on a #2/0 hook.

Fished with a stop start retrieve around structure this fly looks very much like a prawn that is in row carrying eggs.

Because of the lead shot it sinks well and with the aid of the wing which represents an extended carapace of the prawn it swims hook point up resisting snagging up on drowned timber or bottom structure such as detritus matter, shells or stones, and when it is jumped along the bottom it has the added benefit of kicking up a little sand or mud in much the same way as the natural.

Materials

Process

A	This is an easy way to add a led shot to a hook shank. Take a lead split shot and using a knife blade open up the split. Adding weight to a fly Press the shank of the hook down into the split in the shot and using a pair of pointed pliers crimp the split closed just enough to hold the shot in position.

C	Put the fly in the vice hook point up. Paint the lead shot with prawn roe coloured nail varnish.If you google "prawn roe" you will find plenty of images showing the correct shade of orange.

D	Tie in a small bunch of over-locking thread to represent the sieves and mouth parts and tie that in directly behind the lead shot on top of the hook shank.

E	Fold the forward facing strands of the over-locking thread back over the rear facing strands of over-locking thread and lock that in position with several firm wraps of thread. Finish with the thread a distance behind the lead shot equal to the diameter of the lead shot. Trim the over-locking thread so that its ends are below the barb of the hook.

F	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 6 beads. Tie the eyes in using figure of eight wraps a distance behind the lead shot equal to the diameter of the lead shot.

G	Trim away the excess plastic bead chain haberdashery trimming. Put a drop of UV epoxy on the tie in of the over-locking thread and the thread between the two bead chain eyes. With one hand lift the eyes up into position so that thy slope slightly backward and the eyes are separated a distance roughly equal to the gape of the hook and with the other hand use your UV torch to cure the UV resin.

H	Select a wet fly hackle that has barbules ranging in length from the width of the gape of the hook at the narrow end to about twice the gape of the hook at the wider end. Tie the wide end of the hackle in directly behind the lead shot. Do a couple of half hitches in the thread behind the lead shot. Multiple hitches done by hand

I	Palmer the hackle forward to directly behind the lead shot and lock it in position with a couple of firm wraps of thread. Do a couple of half hitches in the thread behind the lead shot.

J	Trim away the remaining hackle tip away using a blade. Take the thread forward over the lead shot to a position half way between the lead shot and the eye of the hook.

K	Select a bunch of superhair, about the same volume as the thickness of a lead pencil, for the extended carapace/wing. There needs to be enough superhair to provide some thickness to this fly so don't under-dress this fly. Lay the superhair on the bench top and flatten it out. Lay 8 strands of krystal flash over the flattened superhair.

L	Pick up half the superhair and krystal flash and bunch it back up together taking care to ensure that the krystal flash is relatively evenly distributed within the bunch. Tie the superhair / krystal flash bunch in with the bulk trailing between the bead chain eyes and extending behind the fly and with just enough facing forward over the eye of the hook to be trimmed down to a prawn tail.

M	Put a drop of UV resin on top of the tie in of the first half of the superhair and Krystal flash extended carapace / wing. Pick up the remainder of the superhair and krystal flash and bunch it back up together taking care to ensure that the krystal flash is relatively evenly distributed within the bunch. Tie this second bunch in with the bulk trailing between the bead chain eyes and extending behind the fly and with just enough facing forward over the eye of the hook to be trimmed down to a prawn tail. Do a couple of half hitches over the tie in of the extended superhair carapace / wing and then take the thread under the tail and do a couple of half hitches behind the eye of the hook. Trim away the excess thread. Lift the super hair up and put a drop or two of UV epoxy in the gap between the lead shot and where the super hair is tied in.

N	Before the UV epoxy cures pull the wing down over the lead shot and into the epoxy and add additional epoxy on top of the carapace / wing in the area above the back of the lead shot and where the carapace / wing is tied in. I don't rotate this fly so its important that you only apply as much epoxy as is needed because if you apply too much your epoxy will run. Whilst continuing to hold that in place with your left hand using your right hand use your UV torch to cure the epoxy. Trim the tail of the prawn which is above but free from the eye of the hook nice and square which projects 5mm in front of the fly. Measure 95mm from the end of the prawn tail and trim the carapace/wing off square at that point. The final step is to trim the end of the carapace wing so that rather than being square at the end it is a more natural looking curve.

{{end}}