Getting back to better than alright. Finally got my fly tying desk in my new place.
Time to get back to work.
Normally by this time I would have tied up a couple dozen patterns as I prepare for my next trip (this time to Hawaii). Now that I have the desk back I can get back on the search for pattern/size recommendations for HI.
Anyone have any go-to flies for HI?
From Reader Vince.
This is the fly I that fooled my first Florida bone fish. While shopping at a Orvis Outlet Store, I spied a package of #8 MOE hooks. The price was ridiculous so it found its way on to a pile of fly tying items stacked near the cash register. Orvis had already eliminated the messy epoxy stage of creating a MOE fly, great.
My cats have been supplying me with their cast off whiskers for some time and now they provided the shrimpy looking antennae for this pattern. I added a couple of strands of crystal flash and then palmered the yellow synthetic material I swiped from my wife’s sewing basket. A one minute bone fish fly.
Plantation Key, Florida, in the very early AM our tarpon guide went to our condo window to check the wind conditions. To his great surprise there was a large school of very big bonefish working the dead coral reef directly below his vantage point. Over the next few days they returned every morning. On the one day we couldn’t get out to pursue tarpon I rigged a nine weight and tied on this little fly. There was a small sandy spot that the bones returned to several times every 20 or so minutes. On a hunch I cast the fly to this spot and waited. Sure enough a bone drifted over and started to nudge around this patch. Two little strips later I was fast to a 6 pounder and my first Florida bone fish.
From reader Eric…
My first trip was in May and I and caught a dozen on plain old Gotchas on Acklins. I threw my whole box of popular flies into schools or cruising big ones with multiple refusals. I tied them all so they will always be my favorite. Here’s a photo of my first few efforts and my first bonefish… (day 1 of 6) -and saw it by myself! I’ve only been fly fishing for three years and had a few months of tying and I feel like I’ve hit the big time! I really enjoy your brain dumps.
Eric English MD
Aka fishbaydoc
simple and effective.
Hey… I had a neat idea…
Here it is.
Send me a picture of your favorite bonefishing fly and a paragraph about why… could be something you like about the fly or a memory created by it or… whatever.
I think we could get some interesting stories that way, and life is all about stories, really.
The reverse with a little hot bunny tail.
This is one of my favorites. It is my favorite because I really played with the materials to get this. I took lots of different bits of advice, a little bit of experience and came up with this… and it worked. It was the real joy of fly tying meeting the joy of learning, meeting the joy of bonefishing.
Always have to cheer when good things happen to good people. Congrats Davin.
the book is out now and if you’re a bonefisher or plan to become one this is a MUST HAVE for your fly-tying desk. Not only does it contain almost 200 patterns, but it describes how and where to fish them. It also has a TON of info about bonefish habitat, behavior, and food preferences as well as lots of tips and techniques.Hop over to your local fly shop and grab a copy, or hit Amazon… but they only have a few copies left so you’d better hurry.
via Flatswalker: SaltWater Fly Fishing Guide Blog – Flatswalker.
A few folks have asked… so… I gave it some thought. I think this patterns was the one I wish I had more of down there in Andros at FIBFest.
Reverse Gotcha... bunny tail... rubber legs... ya know... "stuff"
Maybe this has a name… I’d think it is just a bit too similar to other patterns to have it’s own. It’s goodness. I added some UV Cure whatever to the back of the fly, which is a move I really, really like. Some folks said it would make the fly land too heavy… I didn’t see that, but it is possible that would be an issue in really skinny water. This fly is a #2… so… not little, but after reading some of Aaron Adams’ thoughts on the matter, I think we should probably move up a size or two on most of the flies we throw.
Hope this helps.
A bit on fly selection when it comes to size, from the guru of bonefish, Aaron Adams. This is particularly important given my upcoming trip to Andros.
No matter the size of the bonefish, the tendency will be to eat whatever will fit in the mouth and down the gullet. Bonefish live in a world where a lot of work is required to eat enough to keep their engine running. All of that grubbing in the bottom and eating prey with shells means that for every piece of good food they also ingest undigestibles like sediment and shells. So a bigger meal with less work presents a great advantage.
via Aaron Adams, fly fishing, flies, tarpon, snook, redfish, travel, fly fishing books.
I want to be Aaron when I grow up.
OK... that's a #1... should be a rather big meal there.
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This is from Deneki, of course, as they present 5 Idylwilde patterns for South Andros. You have to like the Idylwilde blog… the tag line is “Marinated in Awesomeness.”
Nice tie from the Idylwilde folks.
5. Paulson’s Bunky Shrimp: This little pattern, in sizes 4& 6, is a uniquely tied “shrimpy” pattern. I used this last May to great success on the shallower East side flats when we were hammering the bones coming out of the inland mangroves. It turns over delicately at distance and the braid over the top of the body helps to keep it gack-free.
via Bonefish Flies for South Andros by Idylwilde.
These patterns all look pretty interesting to me. I’ve noticed touches of orange or pink in most all of these, as well as, in general, a generous helping of rubber legs. This particular fly, the Paulson’s Bunky Shrimp, doesn’t have the rubber legs, but… well… it could, I suppose. A unique looking offering and I’ve been trying to tie up some approximations.
Voila... legs.
Maybe the legs are a bit long, but I figure it is better to start long and trim. I once (a LONG time ago) was getting a haircut and was asked if I wanted more or less hair. Yeah… start with more and trim back, harder to go the other way.
I’m still busy at the vice… still trying to fill up my boxes with goodness and flies I have confidence in throwing. I figure I pulled 40 flies out of my two bonefish boxes… flies I just wasn’t feeling.
Tying is fun. What can I say?
Seeing a post over at Michael Gracie’s about the same, exact fly. His version looks good.
I started thinking about Peterson Spawning Shrimp, a pattern MG mentioned he had tied up in preparation for Andros. I decided to turn again to my old friend and fly tying teacher, Mr. Yew-toob, to see what he had to say on the subject.
A nice tutorial from the TCO Fly Shop surfaced. TCO Fly Shop is out of PA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6AF_3RhxGY?rel=0
I gave it a shot… it would help if I had more rabbit that wasn’t orange… so, I’m improvising a bit.
OK… maybe not there yet.
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