Spawning Shrimp Olive Fly

About the Spawning Shrimp Olive Saltwater Fly

The Spawning Shrimp Olive is a flats-proven bonefish fly that blends a natural olive shrimp profile with an attention-grabbing trigger. It’s designed to look like an easy mouthful: a small shrimp imitation that sinks neatly, flicks its legs on the pause, and gives just enough colour to make cruising fish commit.

This olive version pairs a subtle, buggy body with a bright egg/hot-spot accent and long, barred feelers; ideal when you want a realistic flats shrimp pattern that still stands out in glare or broken light.

Fishing Tips:

How it works

• Olive is naturally fishy: As an olive shrimp fly, it matches the tones of many real flats shrimps and blends perfectly over mixed bottom and turtle grass.
• Trigger point for confidence eats: The hot-spot section suggests spawning or vulnerability, giving fish a clear target without looking overdone.
• Legs and feelers keep moving: Rubber legs and fibres pulse and wave even when the fly is stationary; often the final cue that turns a follow into a take.
• Balanced sink and posture: The bead-chain eyes help it settle into the feeding zone as a dependable bonefish shrimp fly, without crashing into skinny water.

How to fish it

• Lead the fish and let it settle for a second before you move it.
• Use short, crisp strip–pause “scoots” to mimic a shrimp darting, then stopping (most takes come on the pause).
• Keep it close to the bottom; if you never tick the deck, slow the retrieve or allow a longer settle.
• If fish are wary, shorten strips and lengthen pauses. If they’re competitive, make it dart a touch faster.
• Set with a firm strip-strike (rod low), then lift once you feel solid weight.

Tier of this saltwater fly: Bob Nauheim