Freshwater Gotcha?????

Well, I was waiting around for Cabela’s to deliver my Mustad Saltwater hooks for the January Swap, and I got bored. That’s not a good thing. I was going to tie some Gotchas, which is a bonefish fly, mainly for flats fishing, but it looks a little like a shrimp. I was studying the fly pattern to be sure I was ready to tie when the hooks got here, then I began thinking (Uh Oh…):

  1. This doesn’t look too different from a Clouser Swimming Nympth, except for the hook, size and colors.
  2. Clouser Minnows work in both saltwater, and freshwater, for anything that swims.
  3. Some freshwater fish eat shrimp, like catfish. And bluegills aren’t all that picky, either.
  4. There are species of freshwater shrimp, and I am sure they are part of the food chain.
  5. I have lots of #6 and #8 1X Nymph hooks.

Soooo, I tied this fly on a freshwater hook. This is what I came up with. I am going to try it out at several fishing places as soon as possible (I may have to wait for spring for bluegills, crappie, etc).

Freshwater Gotcha

Thread: Pink 3/0 Danville
Hook: Cabela’s 1x Nymph size #8
Eyes: Bead Chain
Tail: Pearl Ultra-Thin Flash
Body: Pink 3/0 Danville Thread
Overwrap: small Clear Pink Stretch Tubing
Wing: Punisher Flash Neon Pink craft fur with 4 stripes drawn on with a black Prismacolor Marker.

I am experiencing pink craft fur ENVY! :slight_smile:
Let us know how it works out?

There are people who take the “backyard bonefish” nickname seriously and pitch Gotcha’s and Crazy Charlies to carp.

I was wondering if that might work. Carp have very similar habits to bonefish, and they sure fight like one. And there are freshwater species of shrimp. I would be shocked if fish didn’t eat them when they could.

Carp, yes, but crappies and bluegills too. Also white bass and drum.

Obviously, I am not the only one to ever wonder about this…(LOL)

By the design, and appearance of the pattern, it almost has to work in freshwater.

Joel,
That’s a Good Looking Fly!