I designed this deadly salmon fly pattern 20 years ago while working as the Head Ghillie and salmon fishing instructor on the River Tay's Newtyle Beat. Here's the exact dressing before anyone asks;
Hook: 1

Here's a shot of a team of Copperass & Jock's Shrimp salmon flies that have just come off the fly tying vice. These 2 patterns are highly effective at all times of the Scottish salmon fishing season in varying sizes to cover all water & temperature conditions.

Here's a glimpse of the salmon fly patterns I have absolute faith in. Although I'll always experiment with different fly patterns my main 2 are the 'Copperass' & the 'Jock's Shrimp' patterns which account for 85% of the salmon I'm involved in the capture of each year. The Maxima spools you see is my favourite salmon fly leader material.

Don't be a 'launch & hope' specialist and adopt salmon fly thought mentality as to your fly's speed & depth as that's what will give you a huge advantage while fishing for salmon anywhere in the world. This lovely River Tay salmon was caught with a perfectly controlled Jock's Shrimp salmon fly near Dunkeld. This shot was taken while the fish was lying in the landing net prior to unhooking and its safe release back to the river.

Always carry a few coiled up spare leaders in your fly box like you see here just in case needed while out on the river. Learn how to prepare your salmon fishing approach via tuition from a professional salmon guide. This Wheatley fly box includes my main favourite salmon flies like the Jock's Shrimp & Copperass salmon fly patterns.

This is the brown winged version of the Jock's Shrimp fitted with a Partridge Nordic No 6 tube fly hook. This is a true weapon of a salmon fly and lethal for attracting salmon on the famous River Tay and other Scottish salmon rivers.

Here's a look at my own personal salmon fly box which includes my main 2 salmon fly patterns which are the Jock's Shrimp & Copperass salmon fly patterns. These 2 patterns have been responsible for over 80% of the salmon I've caught in the last 2 decades. This shot was taken at the River Tay/Tummel confluence near the Perthshire town of Pitlochry.

This salmon fly pattern is the 'Cascade' with boar bristle tied into them which make this pattern even more effective. The hooks these flies are tied on are black Partridge Salar doubles in size 9 which is a popular hook size for most water conditions. This pattern is a favourite for professional Scottish salmon fishing guide to use.

Here's a salmon with a mouthful of the deadly Jock's Shrimp salmon fly. This fish was caught near Dunkeld on the River Tay during July and is a good evidence of just how effective this salmon fly pattern can be. Tie one of these salmon flies onto your leader and watch what happens!

Here's a perfect cock salmon from the River Tay which was caught in late September near Pitlochry. This adult male salmon is seen here in full Autumn spawning colours which is completely different from their dark grey and silver flanks they have when they first arrive back from feeding in the sea. These creatures and their habits are truly fascinating and booking a personal guide is the most effective way of catching one of these fine Scottish salmon.

Salmon Fly Selection

By Jock Monteith 10th August 2026

There's been literally millions of words written on this fascinating subject over the decades by many serious salmon fishers who all have their own take on what the best fly patterns are.

At the end of the day it boils down to faith as we will never truly get permanently inside a salmon's mind. Let me elaborate on the types of fly attributes and swim behaviours that build this faith.

This perfect salmon fly was designed by myself on the River Tay 20 years ago and is an absolute salmon magnet when fished properly. Many experienced salmon anglers swear by the effectiveness of this pattern and it's sometimes wrongly referred to as the Newtyle Shrimp however it's proper registered name is the Jock's Shrimp as a credit to its creator. Here are the exact dressings for this deadly Scottish salmon fly pattern;
Hook / Tube: as required
Thread / Silk: Uni Thread 6/0 or 8/0, Red
Tag / Butt: Oval silver as for Rib
Tail: Orange Arctic Fox or equivalent with pearl flashabou accent or mirage over, just 2 or perhaps 3 strands max.
Tying note: it's important to set the Tag / Butt in place first, this helps lift the Fox tail slightly, increases movement and helps avoid

Salmon Fly Stream Action

Let's start with the word 'waggle' as there's not a lot that beats the 'wiggle & waggle' from the tail of a salmon fly as it sweeps and darts through a pool. Selecting or tying a salmon fly that's got a tapered wing will give you this effect. Darting your salmon fly should also be something you need to think about and forget the consistently boring lifeless sweeps from the majority of angler's flies. Creating a darting action periodically with inconsistently timed flicks, pulls & shudders of the rod tip will also separate your fly from the pack.

Catching Dormant Salmon

If you were a salmon lying 'doggo' at the bottom of a pool are you going to react or investigate a consistently boring fly swing through the pool or are you more likely to come and have a nip at the fly that's behaving differently in the stream. Common sense really once you switch your mind into 'sub surface fly mentality' mode and break from the 'launch and hope' brigade. Become the salmon fly and stay focussed on 'how & where' it's performing in the water column at all times throughout the fishing day.

Keep Only The Proven Fly Patterns

This leads me to the next point. Bin any flies you may have that you've no faith in. In the old days my late mentor Willie 'the ghillie' Laird used to carry an old tobacco tin in his tweed jacket breast pocket. In this tin was about half a dozen flies in 2 or 3 sizes from tubes down to Summer sizes that looked battered and burst but they were effective year in year out. These were the trusted patterns Willie had faith in that pulsed and waggled perfectly in the stream and he stuck with them with consistent success.

This is a very deadly salmon fly throughout the salmon fishing season in Scotland. This 'Jock's Shrimp' pattern I developed over a 5 year period of daily riverbank salmon reaction observations on the River Tay while working as a professional Scottish salmon ghillie in Perthshire.

Introduce Sparkle To The Salmon Fly

On a personal note I like a bit of sparkle in the wing of the fly but only a little bit as it's so easy to over do the 'wing bling' which kills the overall appearance of the fly. Two long stands of a thinnish holographic type of material will truly enhance & illuminate the wing if there's any presence of sunlight. Going for softer fly tying materials like Arctic Fox and Schlappen hackles will give your salmon fly more natural stream movement than the stiffer buck tail and regular hackle materials.

Here's one of my own Wheatley aluminium salmon fly boxes with a few choice patterns in it and a spare coiled up salmon leader. Once your salmon fly faith levels rise then you'll always know what fly to tie on during each month of the salmon fishing season.

Looking After Your Best Salmon Flies

Once you've got the attention of a few of the older resident salmon in a pool that other fly fishers have fished over and haven't been able to catch then that's all the proof you need that you've got a fly that will not just catch the 'easy fish' but will also trick the older residents that have seen it all before. Look after that fly and be sure to shake the water off it when you put it back in your fly box and give the hook point(s) the occasional tickle with a hook point sharpener.