Fly Tying Step by Step - Acocote Flats Bacon Articulated Mantis Shrimp

Written by Rob Mukai on Jun. 10, 2020

Tags: Permit Fly Fly Tying Step by Step Flats Bacon

Here is a fly tying instruction for my new articulated Mantis shrimp. We are calling Flats Bacon, because fish can't get enough of it. I used images of two separate mantis shrimp species in our area to make it more like the naturals than most mantis shrimp patterns. You can check out the video on our Youtube Channel

Fly Tying instructional video for Acocote Sea Flats Bacon

Below is the recipe for both:

Olive

  • Hook size 6-2 Gamakatsu SL11-3H
  • Head Fish Skull Articulated Fish-spines 15mm - 20 mm
  • Thread 140 Denier Chartreuse
  • Body Dark Olive Wooly Critter Brush 0.50 Inch
  • Legs Wapsi Chartreuse/Orange Firetip SiliLegs
  • Eyes 2x Red Bead per stalk with Solarez Hard covered

Tan

  • Hook size 6-2 Gamakatsu SL11-3H
  • Head Fish Skull Articulated Fish-spines 15mm - 20 mm
  • Thread 140 Denier Orange for body, 140 Denier Chartreuse for Head
  • Body Sand Wooly Critter Brush 0.50 Inch
  • Legs Wapsi Pumpkin with Green Orange Black Flake
  • Eyes 2x Tan Bead per stalk with Solarez Hard covered

  1. Cover shank of hook with thread, tie in the dumbbell eyes. Cover shank of hook with thread, tie in the dumbbell eyes

  2. Tie in Woolly Critter to the back of the shank. Tie in Woolly Critter to the back of the shank

  3. Tie in 3 legs between dumbbell eyes and the hook eye. Tie in 3 legs between dumbbell eyes and the hook eye

  4. Palmer Woolly Critter forward, x-wrap over dumbbell eyes, and behind and in front of the legs. Tie off. Palmer Woolly Critter forward, x-wrap over dumbbell eyes, and behind and in front of the legs. Tie off.

  5. Bend fish spine in the middle to 90 degrees, attach to the hook. Bend fish spine in the middle to 90 degrees, attach to the hook.

  6. Tie in thread, close the loop on the fish spine. Super glue. Tie in Woolly Critter. Tie in thread, close the loop on the fish spine. Super glue.

  7. Tie in eyes so they are positioned just below the spine eye Tie in eyes so they are positioned just below the spine eye

  8. Palmer Woolly Critter up the shank, be sure to wrap behind the eyes. Tie off. Trim Legs to approx 1/2 inch. Palmer Woolly Critter up the shank, be sure to wrap behind the eyes. Tie off. Trim Legs to approx 1/2 inch.

Here are the images I used to model the flies.

Small Olive, works out to about a size 4-6

Small Olive, works out to about a size 4-6

These are the proportions. I have found this to be pretty consistent through different species of Mantis Shrimp.

These are the proportions