Drew Chicone's Magnum Mantis
- A signature shrimp pattern by Drew Chicone
- Tied on a bendback hook to get a realistic profile of a mantis shrimp
- Rides hook-side up
- Works best when you choose a color that matches the ocean floor.
- Best fished with short strips followed by a long pause
Chicone's Favorite Aquatic Animal
If you have never spent time learning about the mantis shrimp it’s probably worth the time if you like learning about the food sources of permit, bonefish, and redfish. Chicone says the mantis shrimp is one of his two favorite aquatic animals, the other being the octopus. The inspiration for the Magnum Mantis is the bright green, almost neon-colored versions of this shrimp that are characterized by their “Praying Mantis” like appendages and big eyes. Chicone ties this pattern on a bendback hook to get the correct angle of a natural shrimp and to make sure the hook can ride up.
Chicone offers some great tips for fishing this fly in his book “Belize Flies”. He says to match the color of the ocean bottom or vegetation for normal fishing conditions but when fish are preoccupied the white, chartreuse, and bright orange versions can get their attention. He also recommends short strips with a reasonably long pause. To know how long of a strip to make you should consider the distance between the holes in the sand as these critters will move between these holes naturally and that is what you are trying to mimic.