Olive Shrimp Fly

About the Olive Shrimp Trout Fly

The Olive Shrimp is a purpose-designed stillwater pattern created specifically for fishing weedy margins where natural invertebrate life is concentrated. Originally devised for a very weedy corner of Fernworthy Reservoir on Dartmoor, this fly is built to imitate the small shrimp and other food items that thrive in dense weed beds, exactly the sort of rich feeding zone where trout patrol with confidence.

Created and tied by Freddie Rice in England, the Olive Shrimp is designed for dams, reservoirs and stillwaters, where weed growth provides both cover and a steady supply of prey. In these conditions, a natural olive profile is often more convincing than a flashy attractor, especially when fish are working close to the weeds and cruising the margins.

What makes this pattern so effective is its lifelike shape and sink behaviour. The dressing uses an underbody of three strips of lead wire reducing in size, giving the fly a controlled, natural descent and helping it fish at the right depth along weed edges and drop-offs. A pale olive raffia shellback adds the shrimp-like outline, while a double-thread segmenter creates realistic body segmentation. The body is formed from medium or light olive seal fur, rabbit or similar, which adds subtle movement and a soft, “alive” look in the water.

Fishing Tips:

How to fish the Olive Shrimp

• Work it along weed beds and margins, where trout pick off shrimp and invertebrates.
• Fish it on an intermediate or sink-tip, or on a floating line with a long leader if the fish are high.
• Use a slow figure-of-eight retrieve or short, steady pulls to keep it tracking naturally and avoiding snagging too deeply in the weed.

Creator of this trout fly: Freddie Rice

Tier of this trout fly: Freddie Rice

Country of origin for this trout fly: England

This trout fly is designed to be fished on Dams & Reservoirs, Still Water

Pattern Dressings

• Hook: 12-14
• Thread: Olive
• Underbody: Three strips of lead wire reducing in size
• Shell back: Pale olive plastic raffia. Raffene.
• Segmenter: Double thread
• Body: Medium or light olive seal fur, rabbit or similar

Partridge K4A Grub/Shrimp.