A very good friend of mine is going bonefish fishing in January and told me that he had heard that there are some bugger patterns for bonefish and he asked me to try and find some so that we can sit down together in his rod building shop and tie some up. I am not having a whole lot of luck locating any bugger patterns for bonefish and thought I would ask if anyone can point me in the right direction or give me some patterns.
Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.
WarrenP;
I emailed a friend of mine that runs the “Salt Desk” at a northern California fly shop about your question.
He told me that the normal, “run of the mill wooley patterns” work just fine, for bone fish, but the "bones’ prefer only 3 colors that he’s found out so far,that work consistently:
A “bone color”, which he said is an "off-white, almost “dirty-white” chenille color … An “almond colored chenille” and “the brightest white, you can find”, chenille.
White, (on all three, of the chenille colors), marabou and white hackle. Bill also said to “add a cone head, so the bugger “noses down and kicks up sand”, when strip retrieved”. He added; “DO NOT use bright gold, or brass, cone heads. The duller the cone head’s finish, the better”. “The cones are used only for “action” not to attract the bones and in fact, a bright finish will spook them”.
I imagine, Warren, that Bill just figured I’d know this, so HE didn’t bring it up, but be sure to tie your buggers on salt water, plain finish hooks, fairly wide gape.
Don’t know, if this helps at all. I’ll be “talking” to Bill, again, in a day or two and see if he can shoot me some actual patterns, as well??!!
Paul,
I really appreciate the information on the bonefish buggers! Yes, some patterns would be great! From your descriptions, I will be able to tie up some and I have the material. I was wondering if I should use barbell eyes instead of the cones so the bugger digs in the bottom with the hook point up? I have some black barbell eyes I could use. I guess I could always tie in some weight on the bottom of the hook shank plus the cone heads and that should make them roll over hook up. If you get any more info on this, please send it and I really do appreciate the help.
Thanks a bunch!!
Well, Warren, as my wife always says… "Why don’t you…CLEAN UP that MESS you call “your tying room”!? But, if I DID THAT, then I wouldn’t have found this photo, I’d kept from my “trip, before last, after bones” of some flies we tied and tried, with pretty fair success!
(See? NOW, she’ll know why I never throw anything away!).
Anyway, these ARE NOT MY FLIES!! I don’t even remember, where/when, that I robbed this picture off the Internet, once, while cruising web sites, but I liked the looks of the flies when I saw them so tied some up at the time.
I’d completely forgotten about them, until after I’d talked to Bill in Calif, and answered your thread, sorry!!
(Take note, that even though I didn’t tie these flies in the the picture I tied them as closely to it as I could and so you’ll see the "dark-non shiny-non-glare cone heads I’d mentioned earlier, too).
We tied these as conventional Wooley’s, lead wire under the chenille, etc. Except added the cone to some and subbed the marabou tails with hackle, obviously.
I’ll still, contact Bill again and see about getting you “the latest and the greatest” he may have to offer!
Paul,
I printed your response and picture and will tie some of those for my friend to try on his trip. Thanks so much…Do you remember what size hook was used? I know my friend will have the hooks since the only time he gets to go fishing is to Florida and bone/tarpon fish. I have talked him into some local trout fishing, but, his business takes up much of his time.
Thank you, Thank you!
Warren
Gads, Warren, ya’ try’in to make my HEAD EXPLODE?
“REMEMBERING”, anything for me lately… more than when I got UP this morning, is over taxing my thinker!
However, after looking at my logs and tying notes, (which proved totally useless), I believe I tied them on #2/0-wide gape-salt hooks. With the bulky feather tails, in lieu of the softer marabou, I wanted a hook that would be much easier for a bone to get in touch with.
If the tails were marabou, I remember using a hook, one step down in size, from the 2/0s so they wouldn’t be quite as obvious to the fish. Once we’d arrived at our destination, I know the guide we had, suggested “we use sandpaper to further dull the cone heads and even the silvery finish on our hooks”.
He was the guide, we were tourists, we did as advised and it evidently was the right advice!
You mentioned about “tying so the fly flips, with the hook riding up”. That’ll work, great, except be careful with the “feather tailed flies”, because there’s hardly any action with the hackle tails, (as compared to marabou tails), and the hooks will show up like neon signs, if “above the fly body”!
Paul,
You have been a really big help and I do appreciate all your help. I can now go to the fly tying table and start tying up some flies.
Thanks so much for sharing and helping.
Of course, Warren, you’re MORE than welcome!! But, that’s (to me), what FAOL is here for and all about!?!!
I’d like to see your “end results”, when you’ve finished tying too! If you can, please post some pics, here, on the thread!?
Paul,
My friend could not get together with me today to tie up any bonefish flies, but, I did print off all your information to give to him plus I decided to tie up some samples for him to look at. I do not have any saltwater hooks, but, I did have some #6 salmon fly hooks so I used them. Hopefully, these will serve as samples. I plan to get together with him as soon as he has the time and tie up something with his tying materials. Here are the samples I tied that I hope will assist. Am I close?
The picture quality is not real good. The center one has a body from white Boa Yarn.
You can also use lead eyes on the bonefish buggers with good reactions. They add the benefit of a hook up presentation so are a good substitute for the cone heads…
Warren;
Your ties are far, superior, to mine! BEAUTIFUL job!
I never thought of/tried, the Boa Yarn, but the action should be excellent. Great idea.
Are, you ABSOLUTELY SURE… that when your friend goes South, he won’t need at least TWO “ghillies”, (good looking ones, like you and I!), to help him carry luggage, rods, fly bags, etc.??? MAYBE, he’ll NEED something important, like; On the water, “Bone Fish Fly Designers”??
I haven’t been able to go back, to terrorize the flats for several years, now!?!
Yeah, didn’t think so, darn!
As daren mentioned, too, since that Boa Yarn is as thick as it is, you possibly could get away with hiding an up-hook/with dumbbell eyes!?!
Nice, going, great ties!
Paul,
I don’t think I would go so far as say my flies were that good compared to yours, but, without yours, I had no pattern. I tied up 6 very similiar to the picture, one of Al Campbell’s that I found and the “Gotcha” pattern. I only had salmon fly hooks to use. I ended up dropping all that I had tied to my friend’s place of business yesterday. He was not in at the time, but, he did call last night and said he was taking them with him and would give them a good try. He sounded like he liked them, so, hopefully, he will try them. The one in the picture without the conehead had 8 wraps of .030 lead wire wrap just behind the eye of the hook to give it the “heads down” position. Another one I tied with a conehead has 2 strips of .030 lead wire lashed to the bottom of the hook shank to act as a keel to turn the hook over so it will ride hook up. At my friend’s rod building shop he has the equipment for testing breaking strength of line and I had made a furled leader from 4 pound test Ande mono about 2 months ago and we tested the breaking strength of it at that time and the Shorb loop at the tippet end broke at 20 pounds! My friend seemed impressed with this at that time, so, when I dropped the flies off yesterday I left him a furled leader made from 6 pound test Ande and asked him to break it to see how strong it was. Since 4 pound test broke at 20 pounds, I thought maybe 6 pound test may test out strong enough for him to try for the salt water fishing. I also left him another furled leader made from the 6 pound test Ande with a tippet ring installed just in case the breaking strength was enough that he might test the furled leader out while he is testing the flies. I have not heard from him yet. All of this was fun and would not have been possible without your help and suggestions. Thanks a bunch!
Warren, of course, you’re MORE than welcome, if I helped at all!
Just like everything, here on FAOL it’s just; “been there, done that” type of advice we all share!
I hope, he does try your flies and we can get a report back, when he returns!??!
I guess, by your above post, not mentioning the fact… your friend, didn’t buy the; “two handsome ghillies going along as helpers”, idea that I had??
Darn.
Paul,
If you were here and we went over to his place and asked to go along, he would be thrilled and take us, but, I know the crowd he “hangs” with and I don’t think I could afford the water that they drink! He always has a good time and usually comes back with several rod orders to be built. Once they are built, he makes a trip to deliver them and fish again and take more orders. He is a very good friend and is always himself no matter who is around and there are no “airs” about him. He builds some beautiful fly rods and a really nice bamboo rod. He has built a bamboo for Joan Wluff plus he presented one of his bamboo rods to the Tn. State govenor who has since ordered another one to give to one of his friends. My friend, Don, is a really good person and I think he would do whatever it takes to help someone. He would gladly take us, I just could not afford the trip and the extra curricular activites! So, I guess if you would just come here, we could see him off and then you and I could fish my local rivers. I would really enjoy that with you, so, come on down,you hear!
Warren
Thanks,Warren, for the info on your friend! He sounds terribly close to one I have… "Lights his cigars with $100.00 bills, (figure of speech, he never uses anything bigger than a $50.00 for his cigars!), and YET… meeting him you’d kinda wonder “Is this man, homeless, or not?”. Great guy, richer than Midas and you’d NEVER know it! MY KIND of “rich folk”!
Anyhooooo, I’d LOVE to make a trip back to Tenn. not only to fish with you, (my first priority), but also because I grew up for a few years,(okay, I “AGED” a few years, there, never HAVE “grown up” anywhere!), on a little farm, just outside of Cookeville,(up, between Cookeville and Algood), and haven’t been back to that gorgeous country since I was about 12-13 years old.
And, I’m with you… we could probably go with your friend, sounds like, but neither of us, could probably keep up with his affordable lifestyle, once we got there!! Besides, I have a few good cigars, in my humidor, but I’m fresh out of $50.00 bills!?!
Paul,
Anytime you can make the trip, please let me know and I will take the time and we will do something even if it is illegal!
Don’t worry about how to light your cigars…I have a plan that I feel will work…We will borrow a hundred dollar bill from someone and we can make copies of it on my scanner and then we will just print off one copy for each cigar you have with you…At a distance, no one will ever know that the hundred dollar bill is not real! You will really look good lighting your cigars with hundred dollar bills!
Come see me…
Warren
ANYONE that devious, is SURELY a friend of mine!