Bonefish fly patterns

Bonefish fly patterns
Artificial fly
Feeding Bonefish
Type	Saltwater fly
Imitates	Crabs, Shrimp, Baitfish
Materials
Typical sizes	4-8 Standard Saltwater
Typical hooks	TMC 811
Uses
Primary use	Bonefish

Bonefish fly patterns are a collection of artificial flies routinely used by fly anglers targeting various species of Bonefish. Bonefish frequent tidal sand and mudflats in tropical and sub-tropical latitudes to feed on benthic worms, fry, crustaceans, and mollusks.^[1] Bonefish have small mouths and most Bonefish flies are tied on size 4 to 8 saltwater fly hooks.

Early Bonefish patterns

Early records show bonefish being targeted with flies as early as 1926 and by the 1940s fly fishing for bonefish with crude shrimp and baitfish patterns was not uncommon.^[2]

As described in Salt Water Flies (1972), Kenneth E. Bay^[3]

• Horror
• Sands Bonefish fly
• Solomon Bonefish
• Pink Shrimp

As described in Fly Fishing in Saltwater (1974), Lefty Kreh^[4]

• The Horror
• Blue Tail Fly
• Frankie Belle Bonefish Fly

Early Bonefish Flies

• 
  The Horror Bonefish fly
• 
  Frankie Belle Bonefish fly
• 
  Pink Shrimp
• 
  Sands Bonefish fly

Crab patterns

As described in 101 Favorite Saltwater Flies-History, Tying Tips and Fishing Strategies (2015), David Klausmeyer ^[5]

• McFly Crab
• Hochner's Defiant Crab
• Detonator Crab
• Cathy's Fleeing Crab
• Palometa Crab
• Bastard Permit Crab
• Merkin Crab
• Bonefish Bitters
• Turneffe Crab
• The Other Crab
• The Critter Crab
• Crab-Let
• Quivering Fringe

As Described in Inshore Flies (2000), Jim Schollmeyer and Ted Leeson^[6]

• Blue Crab
• Bone Bug
• Flats Burger
• Fleeing Crab
• Mess of a Crab
• One Shot Crab
• Slam-A-Rod

Shrimp patterns

As described in 101 Favorite Saltwater Flies-History,
Tying Tips and Fishing Strategies (2015), David Klausmeyer ^[5]

• Miheve's Flats Fly
• Mosquito Lagoon Special
• EZ Slider
• Bone Appetite
• Bonefish Slider
• Bob's Mantis Shrimp
• Rocket Man Mantis
• Gotcha
• UV2 Shrimp
• Salt Creature
• Reverend Laing
• Imitator Shrimp
• Ghost Belly Shrimp
• Bunny Shrimp
• Bird Fur Shrimp
• Spawning Ghost
• Foxy Shrimp

As Described in Inshore Flies (2000), Jim Schollmeyer and Ted Leeson^[6]

• Algal Bloom
• Arctic Shrimp
• B. C. Shrimp
• Cole's Peel and Eat Shrimp
• Don's Popping Shrimp
• Epoxy Slider
• Glass Bead Shrimp
• Hart Glass Shrimp
• Key Lime Fly
• Red Eye Bone

As described in Professionals' Favorite Flies-Volume 2-Streamers, Poppers, Crustaceans and Saltwater Patterns (1994), Lefty Kreh ^[7]

• Snapping Shrimp
• Deer Hair Shrimp
• Lou's Bonefish Fly

Baitfish patterns

As Described in Inshore Flies (2000), Jim Schollmeyer and Ted Leeson^[6]

• Epoxy Minnow
• Bullethead Glass Minnow
• Greg's Bottom Feeder
• Mullet Diver

As described in Professionals' Favorite Flies-Volume 2-Streamers, Poppers, Crustaceans and Saltwater Patterns (1994), Lefty Kreh ^[7]

• Apricot Crazy Charlie

• Crazy Charlie
• Clouser Deep Minnow

Hybrid patterns

Hybrid patterns are patterns often referred to as general attractor patterns or patterns specifically designed to imitate more than one type of prey, i.e. both shrimp and crabs.

As described in Professionals' Favorite Flies-Volume 2-Streamers, Poppers, Crustaceans and Saltwater Patterns (1994), Lefty Kreh ^[7]

• Mini-Puff
• Mother of Epoxy
• Bonefish Special
• Bonefish Bunny
• Bend Back

As Described in Inshore Flies (2000), Jim Schollmeyer and Ted Leeson^[6]

• Epoxy Charlie
• FuzBone
• Glass Spoon Fly
• Greg's Flats Fly
• Lord Pinky
• Mr. Pinky
• Weighted Bend Back

Notes

1. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Albula vulpes". FishBase. June 2007 version.
2. Brooks, Joe (1968). Saltwater Game Fishing. New York: Harper & Row Publishers. p. 288.
3. Bay, Kenneth E.; Kessler, Herman (1972). Salt Water Flies-Popular Patterns and How to Tie Them. New York: J.B. Lippincott Company. ISBN 0397009399.
4. Kreh, Lefty (1974). Fly Fishing in Saltwater. New York: Crown Publishers Inc. p. 72.
5. Klausmeyer, David (2015). 101 Favorite Saltwater Flies-History, Tying Tips and Fishing Strategies. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. pp. 125–207. ISBN 9781632205384.
6. Schollmeyer, Jim; Leeson, Ted (2000). Inshore Flies-Best Contemporary Patterns from the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Portland, OR: Frank Amato Publications. pp. 51–76. ISBN 157188193X.
7. Kreh, Lefty (1994). Professionals' Favorite Flies-Volume 2-Streamers, Poppers, Crustaceans and Saltwater Patterns. Birmingham, Alabama: Odysseus Editions. pp. 135–170.