As the coastal waters cool down, shrimp once again move closer to the shore. Morten Jensen often explores unconventional coastal spots with calm, clear waters, where his favorite fly, the Agne Shrimp, frequently tricks the elusive autumn sea trout.
By Peter Lyngby
(this artickle has been published in the danish magazine “Sportsfiskeren” and the online magazine “In The Loop Magazine”)
Instagram buzzes with talented coastal fly tyers showcasing a wide variety of shrimp patterns—each more realistic than the last. Among the dedicated fly tyers sharing their creations on Instagram is Swedish Agne Sjöberg from Gothenburg. Under his concise profile name “agne,” Agne Sjöberg has uploaded hundreds of pictures of stunning coastal flies to the photo-sharing and social networking platform, many of them shrimp patterns.
But surprisingly, the Agne Shrimp isn’t about Agne. Instead, the fly is tied by Danish angler Morten Jensen, who explains the connection.
Morten Jensen with a stunning October sea trout.
A Tribute to the Fisherman’s Son
“I first met Agne ‘Fiskarsonen’ Sjöberg at a fishing event hosted by El-Ge Sportfiske in Gothenburg. We quickly started talking about coastal fishing and fly patterns. Personally, I’m not overly concerned with technical details or the many written and unwritten rules of fly tying. My focus is purely on functionality. What matters most to me is believing in the fly’s effectiveness, not just tying something that looks good in the vice.
When Agne showed me the material Craft Fur, in what was then a new Barred Grizzly edition, I immediately saw its potential for my flies. I already liked Craft Fur because it’s simple to use and creates highly lifelike flies. Once I got home, I started experimenting with the Craft Fur right away. After some trial and error, I hit on a highly effective shrimp pattern that was also easy to tie. I named it the Agne Shrimp as a tribute to my new Swedish fishing friend,” Morten begins.
Calm Waters and Long Leaders
Most fly fishers who follow fishing media are familiar with Morten Jensen’s sea trout catches and stunning fishing films in recent years. Known for his unconventional approach, Morten often seeks out calm, clear waters for coastal fishing, in contrast to the usual trends.
“I love incorporating an element of sight fishing into fly fishing. By targeting the calmer areas of coastal waters, I often see sea trout rolling or moving at the surface. These fish aren’t always easy to hook, especially in autumn, but for me, it’s the most exciting form of fishing.
That’s precisely the kind of fishing I developed the Agne Shrimp for. Craft Fur provides excellent transparency against the dubbing, and the fly has an irresistibly enticing movement in the water. This is crucial for me because I usually fish my flies slowly with long pulls. In autumn, the flies should be small, so I often use the Agne Shrimp in size 10 or 8. Earlier in the year, I’ll use a size 6 as well. My go-to color combination is quite neutral in the water, but I’ve included a prominent strike point with a red butt and pink eyes.
Regardless of conditions, I prefer a distinct, eye-catching feature on the fly for the sea trout to aim at—or however you’d put it. Naturally, the Agne Shrimp can be varied in color to your liking. Craft Fur comes in countless colors, and there’s no shortage of dubbing material options either. However, the version I tie here is my absolute favorite.
I mainly fish in Stevns, Møn, West Zealand, and Funen, and the Agne Shrimp has proven its worth in all these locations. I usually fish the shrimp on a hover or neutral-density fly line with a long, thin fluorocarbon leader. The leader length may vary slightly depending on conditions, but by ‘long,’ I mean at least two rod lengths—around five meters as the absolute minimum,” Morten explains.
Tying Tips
As with many simple fly patterns, the key is to get a feel for the materials and proportions. When tying the Agne Shrimp, it’s important not to overdress it. Thoroughly mix the dubbing and brush it out well with a dubbing brush after tying it in. The body should be airy and semi-transparent.
The only tricky part is getting the fine Craft Fur fibers to behave in the dubbing loop. Try to cut the fibers evenly to the right length and carefully spread them in the loop so they don’t clump or overlap. When you spin the dubbing loop and wrap it around the body as a false hackle, it’s crucial not to make the wraps too dense. Three to four wraps should suffice—any more, and you’ll end up with a lifeless, brush-like fly. Finally, brush the fly thoroughly with the dubbing brush so the fibers align and the fly takes shape.
..what matters most to me is believing in the fly’s effectiveness, not just tying something that looks good in the vice.”
The Agne Shrimp
Hook: Ahrex NS22 size 6–10
Thread: 8/0 UNI, Pink
Butt: Senyo’s Laser Dub, Red
Tail: Craft Fur, Barred Grizzly
Antennae: Rizz Fiber, Fluorescent Red
Body: Dub UV2 Scud Shrimp Mysis White + UV2 Seal-X Golden Stone 50/50% mix
Eyes: Easy Shrimp Eyes, Fluorescent Pink
Body Hackle: Craft Fur, Barred Grizzly in a dubbing loop
Step-by-Step Guide
Attach the tying thread at the back of the hook.
Tie in a small amount of dubbing for the butt and brush it out.
Tie in a small bundle of Craft Fur for the tail.
Add two Rizz Fiber strands as antennae.
Dub a small amount of the mixed dubbing in front of the antennae.
Attach a pair of Easy Shrimp Eyes so they extend to the hook bend.
Create a dubbing loop and lay it back. Then dub the body with the mixed dubbing.
Spread a small bundle of Craft Fur evenly in the dubbing loop. Ensure the fibers don’t clump together.
Wrap the dubbing loop with Craft Fur around the body, making about three to four wraps.
Finish with the tying thread and thoroughly brush the body and Craft Fur hackle with a dubbing brush. The fly is complete.
