Scud / Gammarus
Gammarus pulex — the freshwater shrimp — lives in every clean river and lake in the British Isles, from the gravel beds of chalk streams to the rocky shallows of Highland lochs. It's one of the most abundant invertebrates in alkaline and limestone waters, and brown trout, grayling and char eat them in quantity. Olive, grey and tan are the workhorse colours.
Chalk stream and limestone river fishing year-round — brown trout on the Test and Kennet are often full of them. Also effective on Irish limestone loughs and anywhere amphipods are abundant in the weed and gravel. Dead-drift upstream or swing on a wet-fly leader.
The curved hook duplicates the natural resting posture of a shrimp in the current. In alkaline water where Gammarus is a primary food source, a correctly sized and coloured scud fished close to the weed is hard to beat.
