{"id":2867,"date":"2017-11-24T00:00:03","date_gmt":"2017-11-24T00:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/?p=2867"},"modified":"2020-04-26T00:44:30","modified_gmt":"2020-04-26T04:44:30","slug":"characteristics-great-bonefish-fly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tailflyfishing.com\/characteristics-great-bonefish-fly\/","title":{"rendered":"Characteristics of a Great Bonefish Fly"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” overlay_strength=”0.3″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]\n

Many will argue that it doesn’t matter what you throw at a bonefish in the Bahamas, they’ll usually eat.\u00a0 The study and creation of an effective bonefish fly is not aimed at schoolies in the Bahamas but more the large, selective fish that novice anglers eventually seek.\u00a0 In locations like Turks & Caicos, Hawaii, Southeastern Florida, and the South Pacific there are large fish that are very precise in choosing the fly they will eat.\u00a0 Even if they were not overly selective, why travel and take a chance on a missing a fish because of an inferior or poorly chosen fly.\u00a0 There are many things that constitute a good bonefish fly, we’ll just briefly mention a few of the major ones.<\/h3>\n
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1. Durability<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Nothing is worse than a fly that falls apart completely, especially if it is on the first bonefish.
\nWithout totally slamming the flies that are made in remote reaches of the world by people who don’t even fly fish, they stink! They are often tied on cheap hooks with use cheaper, less expensive materials and they fall apart usually after 1 or 2 bonefish. There are existing the US are companies and individuals that manufacture quality flies tied on good hooks, you just have to do your homework. We like to use quality materials with a few extra wraps to make the flies durable and when we can, add some adhesive in between steps. Lately we’ve been using some thin epoxy to add strength to the thread, and also hold in the wing & leg materials. Take the time to tie a quality fly and in the long run, you won’t have to tie as many because quality ties stand up to the test.<\/p>\n

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\"bonefish 2. Movement<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Nothing gets a bonefish or any fish to eat like movement. If the fly is moving with the tidal flow, you are in great shape.
\nWe like to use materials like fox fur, rabbit and various types of sili-legs for our bonefish files because the material has an inherent natural movement in the water.\u00a0 Even if the fly is stationary, the materials and moving with the current and almost breathing, giving life to the fly. While the furs look amazing in the water, the can get heavy and noisy once it is wet.\u00a0 This can and usually does create a problem in skinny water, especially if you make a big “plop” noise when you cast it.\u00a0 Try tying the same pattern in different materials for different situations so you have multiple options in your box.<\/p>\n

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\"bonefish<\/p>\n

3. Proportion<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

If the fly is not proportioned properly the bonefish and all other fish will likely reject it. This has nothing to do with the quality of the imitation but more to do with the movement of the fly and its similarity to the prey species it imitates.\u00a0 Sometimes a poor imitation just happens to match the profile or size of a prey and gets eaten because it happens to look right.\u00a0 This is the goal, but rather than by luck, a more systematic approach is best.
\nIf the head or tail are too long, the fly could foul but that is an easy fix if you have the ability to trim it on the skiff.\u00a0 A long wing could cause the fly to spin while being stripped aggressively. If the weight of the fly is too far forward or too far back, this could make the fly look un-natural to a bonefish causing rejection of the fly.
\nTake you time to get it right and test your new patterns in the water like all good anglers do.\u00a0 Try some long, try some short and see how they perform.<\/p>\n

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\"bonefish<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Productivity<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Local food in the waters, time of year and weather conditions will all play an important part of fly selection.\u00a0 Depending on your location, this will dictate the productivity of your pattern while fishing for bonefish.\u00a0 Most Bahamian locations use the gotcha fly and some guides will tell you they will eat a bare hook if it moves and they are hungry enough.\u00a0 When selecting a pattern, it is ok to go with you own fly or a friends.\u00a0 Remember, productive patterns that are well known and commonly used are popular because they have been productive for years.\u00a0 This means the creator intentionally or not, tapped into something that mimics something they commonly see and eat.\u00a0 It is ok to use a gotcha and if you want to you can make your own.\u00a0 Just be sure to use a good hook, good materials, and watch your proportions.<\/p>\n

We always encourage anglers to tie their own flies as the is a nostalgic and very relevant aspect of one being a complete angler.\u00a0 There are some really great patterns out there and you can find a lot of them on\u00a0\u00a0Flyfishbonehead<\/a>, In the Riffle<\/a>, and Global Flyfisher<\/a>.\u00a0 There are also some of the more productive Caribbean bonefish flies in our shop that might inspire you to tie.\u00a0 An upcoming issue in Tail will be discussing the history of fly tying and how it is emerging once again among fly fishing purists.<\/p>\n

BACK TO BLOG<\/a><\/p>\n

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