The critter this month is not a single species, but thousands of species incredibly important to at least as many species of fish found in all sorts of habitats from freshwater to salt and shallow waters to the depths of the oceans. This month, we are taking a look at shrimp.
Chances are, the fish species you love to catch have some sort of shrimp in at least part of their diet. These critters are highly varied from the large saltwater 'prawns' that even humans love to eat, to the small 'scuds' found clinging to aquatic weeds in freshwater lakes - and everything inbetween. Serious fly anglers will always have few shrimp patterns in their fly box suited to the species they are chasing - whether it be trout or tarpon, carp or crappies.
Fish love shrimp for the same reason we do - they are a meaty meal full of protein and, where they are abundant, fish will often prefer to eat shrimp rather than other food items that may be readily available in the area. The case of the mysis shrimp in Colorado's Fryingpan River is an example. In Australia, the freshwater 'glass' shrimp is a very important species ecologically and almost all Australian native freshwater fish eat them - as well as introduced species such as carp and trout. Shrimp can be found anywhere in the world, and tying shrimp fly patterns for the species you fish for can be a challenging and rewarding past time. Why not try running a fine mesh net through some weedy lake edges or coastal rock pools and see what you can find - chances are you will find at least some shrimp, that some fish species there will be eating. Check out this freshwater shrimp video by the legendary Canadian fly angler and biologist, Brian Chan, to find out more.
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