Disco Shrimp Fly

The Disco Shrimp is a topwater pattern designed by Drew Chicone that brings a serious party to the flats. This fly combines the waking action of a gurgler with the clicking sound of a rattle to grab the attention of redfish, snook, seatrout, and even baby tarpon. It features a foam back for buoyancy and a unique sequin tail that catches light and sprays water with every strip. If you need to draw fish up from the bottom or call them in from a distance, this pattern is a must-have in your saltwater box.

What It Imitates

This pattern mimics a fleeing shrimp or prawn scurrying across the water's surface to escape predators. The foam lip creates a wake, while the sequin tail adds a flash and splash that looks exactly like a panicked shrimp kicking to safety. The internal rattle simulates the clicking noise shrimp make, adding an auditory trigger that many standard surface flies lack.

How To Use It

Fish this fly on a floating line with a stout leader to turn over the wind-resistant foam body. Use a rhythmic strip-strip-pause retrieve. The strips should be sharp enough to make the fly "pop" and spray water, while the pause allows the rubber legs to wiggle and the rattle to settle. The noise and disturbance are often enough to trigger aggressive strikes from fish that might ignore a quieter presentation. It is excellent for working over grass beds or along mangrove shorelines where you need to call fish out of cover.

When To Use It

The Disco Shrimp shines in low-light conditions like early morning or late evening when predatory fish are prowling the shallows. It is also a smart choice for stained or murky water, as the rattle and surface commotion help fish locate the fly even when visibility is poor. Use it when you see shrimp jumping or when fish are busting bait on the surface but refusing subsurface offerings.

Why We Like It

We love this fly because it attacks a fish's senses from multiple angles. It is not just visual; the "click" of the rattle and the "pop" of the sequin create a unique acoustic footprint that drives fish crazy. The mono weed guard is a thoughtful addition that keeps you fishing longer and snagging less, allowing you to throw this fly deep into the mangroves or over thick turtle grass without worry.

Comparisons

Disco Shrimp vs. Standard Gurgler:

Both flies are designed to wake on the surface, but the Disco Shrimp is much louder. A standard Gurgler relies mainly on the wake it pushes to attract fish. The Disco Shrimp adds a rattle and a sequin tail, creating more noise and a distinctive water spray. Choose the Disco Shrimp when you need extra commotion to get a fish's attention in dirty water or low light.

Disco Shrimp vs. Peterson's Spawning Shrimp:

These flies target the same species but at different depths. Peterson's Spawning Shrimp is a subsurface pattern designed to sink and be fished near the bottom where shrimp naturally hide. The Disco Shrimp is a topwater fly meant to imitate a shrimp fleeing on the surface. Use the Spawning Shrimp for wary fish in deeper water, and switch to the Disco Shrimp when fish are looking up or feeding aggressively in the shallows.

Disco Shrimp vs. Clouser Minnow:

The Clouser Minnow is a weighted baitfish imitation that jigs up and down in the water column. It is versatile but lacks the surface disturbance of the Disco Shrimp. If you are fishing deeper channels or drop-offs, the Clouser is the better tool. However, if you are wading shallow flats and want to see the eat on the surface, the Disco Shrimp is the superior choice.