Bonefish gotcha flies
I'm soon going to the keys for a 3 days or so on a business trip. I may get a chance to try to fish for bonefish. So far I tied som clousers in 2 and 4 and some gotchas in 2 and 4. I have a few other patterns also merkin crab and borski shrimp. Question #1 should I tie a few of the above patterns in size 6? Question #2 Does it really matter to the fish if the Gotcha has another material on the tail besides pearl mylar tubing, A few of the ones I tied I used pearl crystal flash instead.
jkilroy,
Your selection sounds good to me.
I've done it a few times in Keys, but I'm not an expert, so defer to others with more experience on the board when they pipe in, or a guide if you go that route and book one in advance.
From what I can tell, Bone flies in the Keys tend to be a bit larger and meatier than typical Bahama style flies.
Keys fish get heavy pressure, so a lot of guides don't favor stuff like epoxy flies and lots of flash, though I use a little crystal flash in wings and snip it off if I seem to be spooking fish.
"Bonefish Fly Patterns" by Dick Brown recommends sizes 1/0, 1, 2 and 4. Colors: Tan, brown, gold, cream olive and some pink and chartreuse.
Think dark flies dark bottoms, and light flies light bottoms. Heavily weighted flies deep water, lighter for shallow.
If I was going for a short trip, with a limited fly selection I'd want some quick ties like:
Clousers in size 2 with lead and bead chain eyes in Tan over White, Dark Olive, and Chartreuse. In addition to these, I'd probably add ones in size 4 with Bead Chain in size tied with tan marbou instead of bucktail if I was going to be wading on my own.
Merkins in size 2 Cream or Tan for light bottoms and Brown/Olive for dark bottoms. (Ideally I'd have some in 1/0 for permit too....)
Borski Shrimp in Dark Brown and/or Dark Olive, and Cream and/or Tan for deep water.
Puffs size 1 and Mini Puffs size 4 in Cream, Dark Olive and Pink for throwing behind rays and in muds in deep water, mostly because they're such an easy tie though not as realistic as the Borski Shrimp.
Something like that should cover the different bait profiles, light vs dark bottoms, and shallow vs deep, and offer a range of colors.
Be sure to bring some flies to throw at other stuff if the bones aren't cooperating like deceivers if you have them kicking around.
Good luck.
peregrines
I guess I won't worry about tying anything in 6. 1/0 for bonefish, that's big.
Yeah, it sure is. He recommends smaller sizes for other places (Bahamas, Belize etc). Keys fish tend to run pretty big and the flies the guides use down there seem to be a lot larger than the Crazy Charlies and Gotchas they fish in the Bahamas and elsewhere (tho I've never fished for them except the Keys).
1/0 still seems big, and I wouldn't waste a whole lot of time on tying that size for bones, but maybe a good size for a few Merkins if you're also gunning for Permit and have a spare rod...
Most of the time I've been in the Keys I was going for tarpon. The few times I've gone for bones I've had luck on a cream size 2 Merkin on a light bottom and the ugliest, scraggliest pink puff, size 1, (NOT 1/0) I think, weighted with a ton of lead casting behind rays and to mudding fish in deep water.
My bet would be that bones will be very heavily weather dependent this time of year ( cold fronts etc) but you still should have a lot of options with other things to throw at if the wind isn't howling and you can get out.
If you don't get any more hits on this thread from someone that really knows what they're talking about, consider posting the same question on the SW forum. There are a lot of locals, snowbirds, and a few guides that pop up there.
Good luck and have a great time!
peregrines
What is a puff and can you give me a link for the SW fourm?
JKilroy,
FAOL's fly archives are usually the first place I look, but I didn't see instructions for puffs there.
Another good place to browse around for salt water flies and a pattern search database is: www.branhamsaltwatertying.com
Here are some Mini Puffs (click on fly for ingredients and links to tying instructions):
//www.branhamssaltwaterflytying.com/flytying/patterns/type.asp?flytype=bonefish&Submit2=Search&offset=40
And here is a Puff:
http://www.branhamssaltwaterflytying.co ... it6=Search
Think of these Puffs and Mini Puffs as a tying style. I tend to tie the Mini Puffs as shown, but the Puffs I tie have lead eyes instead of glass,and I vary the body color and materials (some light, some dark) depending on mood and materials.
If you click on the "BB Home" button on the upper right of this page, it will take you to the list of other boards... Warm Water, Paddling, Saltwater, Reports etc. You may need toscroll a bit before it pops out.
Regards,
peregrines
Here's another Puff fly from the FAOL archives with step by step instructions and photos.
Click on Fly of the Week on FAOL homepage, click on Previous Flies, then scroll down to 1Q 2002 for Pink Puff.
peregrines
My assumption is that you would use olive colored bendback in turtle grass? Is that correct? Would crazy charlies get stuck in the grass? I have no experience fishing in turtle grass. Would all olive be the way to go or half white/half olive?
If you see a fish, throw whatever you have on, rather than trying to change flies. It just might decide to eat. If it blows up and spooks it could be the fly or a zillion other things. Merkins have been the best all around bone fly for me and I wouldn't hesitate to throw one, dark or light, anytime, any bottom, any depth.
So when you enter into an area, look for tails, muds, smoke, moving shadows, squirrely water etc. and plan on throwing whatever you've got tied on. (Polarized sunglasses and a hat, sun at your back if possible for max visibility.)
If you don't see anything at first, or if you see tails a zillion miles away you have some time to risk changing flies to something that might help your odds.
If you're wading you'll be in skinny water. Even if you can wade out to your waist, you won't be able to see bonefish fish from that angle. That will mean lightly weighted flies dark or light depending on bottom.
If you're in a boat, you'll have better visibility, and can fish deeper water 3-4 feet deep as well as skinnier water. In deep water you won't see tails of course, so you'll be looking for muds, rays to cast behind and maybe other fish besides bones to throw to.
Over turtle grass I'd go with something dark in olive or brown and for deeper water heavily weighted flies that ride hook up, like a puff, clouser in chartreuse, or a merkin in olive/brown. Skinnier water I'd throw a merkin (they make less of a splash than the other two), a bendback, charlie, or minipuff. Most of the time I've seen bones they're actually not in the grass itself but in the mud patches. If I do snag grass it's usually while I'm retrieving a fly after I've blown up a fish so I have plenty of time to pluck it off.
For sandy bottoms, deep water white or tan puff, white or white/tan clouser, a cream or tan merkin. For shallow water on sand I'd go with a light colored merkin, tan or cream minipuff, gotcha, charlie or marabou bendback.
Some folks tie their heavily weighted puffs with mono weed guards, I don't bother. Most bonefish flies are tied hook point up and are pretty good as far as weeds go.
A guide will improve your chances exponentially of course, and by all means defer to his/her advice if you go that route.
But if you're on your own I hope this stuff is helpful. A stripping basket is a big help too if you're wading. A Rubbermaid dish tub works well for me. You can cut two slits in one of the long sides and run an old belt through it, or use shock cords with hooks through a small hole on each side. It'll keep loose line off the water and add feet to your cast (less resistance than trying to shoot line that's laying in the water).
If you post in the saltwater forum you'll probably get more specific info.
Good luck, I'm jealous!
peregrines
Thanks for all the info peregines. I'm keeping my inventory to gotchas, charlies, clousers and bendbacks for the turtle grass. I get too overwhelmed with too many flies too chose from. I can't wait too catch my first bonefish. I had my chance on a few in bermuda last year, didn't hook any because I put the fly too close to them, another learning experience.
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