BONEFISH JUNK

"After several trips to South Andros, I had begun to get some idea of what was most attractive to these fish, and perhaps more importantly, the guides. Larger patterns, ranging from a smallish #4 to a 3+ inch #2 seemed to draw the best responses, with the bigger flies being picked out from greater distance, a trait my casting accuracy is commensurate with. Larger patterns also seemed to be preferred by the larger fish. A bright spot of orange or pink was a commonality of many of the favored patterns, as were rubber legs in one form or another. Combining these parts in a single pattern to create lots of movement and replicate an actual food form became my project for the year between trips. To that end, I started playing with variations on the Bahamian bonefish favorite, the Gotcha, until I had strayed so far adrift that I had an entirely new pattern. I was always under the impression that bonefish prey moved slowly and that your fly ought to move in short darts, providing the fish ample opportunity to close in and catch it. This visual display of a shrimp moving relatively long distances and the bonefish's easy adjustment and even aggressiveness over this behavior changed the way I fish for these fun filled lightning bolts with fins." – Charlie Craven