Ross Macdonald Flies

Silver Wilkinson Shrimp
Tied by Ross Macdonald

Silver Wilkinson Shrimp was tied by Scottish Fly Tier, Ross Macdonald. Ross writes occasionally for Fly fishing and Flytying Magazine and has agreed to be a contributor to Salmonfly.Net. His Contributing Fly Tyer page will be a welcome addition and is coming soon. See Ross's notes about this fly below. 

ROSS'S NOTES: "This an old pattern. It is originally a hairwing but is very popular in Ireland where it is usually tied in the Irish Shrimp style. I have tied this variant in the Scottish style. It is a fly for fresh fish- any time.

The bodies are often made of seal's fur dubbing or flat tinsel. I think the dubbed body is a big part of the success of this style of fly- it creates a stronger profile than a hairwing of similar size.

Steve features Peter O'Riley's book, Trout and Salmon Flies of Ireland on his Salmonfly.Net pages and I can recommend it as a guide. Chris Mann's book, Shrimp and Spey flies for Salmon and Steelhead, is also worth having. I dislike the computer graphics as they don't capture the essence of the flies. But the text covers the history of the Irish Shrimp Fly and is an excellent read.

The Scottish long-tailed shrimps like the Ally's and the Cascade are characterized by a long tail made from bucktail or squirrel; if mobile enough any hair will do (I like Fox and Arctic Runner). As a rule of thumb, the long-tailed flies are fished faster. This reflects the larger swifter rivers in Scotland. However, by altering the tail length these flies are the most versatile of salmon flies and are used in Scotland from the start of the season right to the end. I use them on 1? copper tubes, down to size 14s."