Bonefish flies?

[ahl09]

Can anyone help me out with a few suggested fly patterns for bonefish? I'm off to Mexico on the weekend so it's a little last minute I know, but any help would be great.

[Chris Reeves]

Do you know whereabouts you are fishing? The most important things are matching size and colour to the bottom and local prey
If fishing over sand use light coloured flies, if fishing over grass or mud use green olive and brown flies.

If I had no information to base my choice on at all I 'd go for

Crazy Charley's in sizes 2,4,6,8,
Bonefish Biters 4,6,8,
Mini Puffs in 2, 4 and 6
A couple of small crab patterns

I'd do a selection of colours but also a selection of weights, you can get caught out by the tide, what works at low water might be too light for a big tide, When we were last in Exhuma it was on a spring yide and we had to tie lead eyes charley's to get them down deep enough to the mudding fish.

Look at my post in the sticky thread "Member Fly boxes at the top of the page, it has my bonefish boxes with all the flies I carry.
Hope this helps

[stevekale]

This was a cracker for me earlier in the year on Andros. Caught 90% of my bonefish on this fly.

Charlie's FlyBox - Colorado's Best FlyShop and online Fly Tying Tutorials

[langland_fisher]

I'd definitely take some Gotchas. Very easy to dress and have worked in Andros and Little Cayman for me. There is a theory that the fly should tone with the bottom so if you have normal sand the standard Gotcha is good. If you have pink sand (as at Harbour Island) or sea grass you might want some pink or green toned flies.

[arkle]

Some years ago I met a guide who had extensive knowledge of all types of fly-fishing in South America. One of his favourite bone-fish patterns was a small-ish crab, dressed on a Mustad 3407 nickelled hook not the stainless 34007 as it would stay in a fish if it did break off. The 3407 rusted out in a few days.

Most people used white for their crab patterns, but he used a pale cream/ivory colour as it was less likely to spook the fish & it was several times more effective than the white at getting hook-ups.

[Chris Reeves]

Yes I forgot the Gotchas, A very useful fly