Equipment and Flies

BONEFISH FLY TACKLE:

The big draw of the Bahamas is the sight fishing for bonefish. The Bahamas offer some of the best bonefishing in the world. Bonefish in the Bahamas range in size from 2 - 15 pounds. On the average, bonefish will be in the 3 - 5 pound range. Smaller bonefish (1 - 2 pounds) tend to swim together in large schools, a natural defense against sharks, barracudas and other predators. Large bonefish travel alone or in pairs. We have found that most times when fishing to big schools of moving bonefish, the largest fish tend to be in the back of the pack. Bonefish are active feeders and a variety of flies and fishing strategies are effective in taking them. One of the nice things about bonefishing is that the proper equipment needed to catch them successfully is also one of the most common fly rod weight and size. The following suggestions and recommendations should help in assembling your bonefishing tackle.

Fly Rods: We recommend Multi-piece (4 or 5 piece) 7, 8 or 9 weight fly rods in the nine-foot length. We like fast tapered fly rods, that generate good line speed, and that can punch a fly into a stiff breeze. Fly rods that have been especially designed for the rigors of saltwater fly-fishing are the best choice. In that category we like the Sage Xi2 or Z-Axis Series, Scott X2S, Scott S3S Saltwater series, and Winston’s Boron IIX rods. However, any good quality 7 - 9 weight fly rod will suffice. Maybe more important than the rod is the reel, since bonefish can really put on the afterburners and fry a poor quality fly reel. Bringing along a spare rod is a good idea and can save a trip. Most of the lodges have some spare outfits around, but you can never be sure of their general condition.

Fly Reels: (minimum 150 yards of high-visibility 20 lb. backing) Fly reels specifically designed for saltwater fly fishing are the ticket and make a difference. Features to look for in reels are smooth disk drags, with plenty of backing capacity, and sturdy, machined, aluminum, one-piece anodized frame. Models to consider include the Tibor Everglades QC, Galvin Torque 6 or 8, Ross Evolution 3.5, Nautilus NV 6/7, 7/8 and Nautilus CC8.

Fly Lines: A weight forward Saltwater Tapered floating line designed for the tropics is all you need. Scientific Anglers Mastery Bonefish is the best going. These lines are specifically designed for saltwater fly fishing and have a special braided monofilament core that provides the proper stiffness to allow excellent shooting while resisting tangles, even in tropical heat. Standard freshwater fly lines turn into mush in the tropics and are very susceptible to getting dirty. A dirty, sticky, limp line will only result in frustration out on the flats. If you are only going to purchase one new item for your bonefish trip, invest in a saltwater fly line--they are worth it.

Leaders: Tapered saltwater leaders made from clear monofilament or Fluorocarbon (8 - 20 lb. class) 9' - 12' are the most popular choices. Rio Powerflex Knotless Bonefish Leaders and Seaguar Fluorocarbon leaders are good choices. Go knotless with your leaders for a couple different reasons. First, bonefish have incredible vision and a knotted leader may become a disadvantage. Second, knots tend to pick-up tiny pieces of debris and vegetation. You should bring along some tippet material, clear monofilament or Fluorocarbon in spools of 8, 10, 12, 15 and 20-pound test. Although expensive, fluorocarbon leaders and tippet are great choice as they are nearly invisible in water, perfect for spooky fish in very gin-clear water.

Flies for Bonefish: Bonefish flies come in an array of styles and colors. With that in mind the following list of flies, should cover most of the bonefishing situations you will encounter.
~ McVay Gotcha # 6 - # 2
~ Clouser Minnows #6 & #4 (chartreuse/white) (tan/white) (pink/white)
~ Crazy Charlies #6 (silver, amber, crystal pink, crystal chartreuse)
~ Mini Puff (with and without bead chain eyes) #6, # 4 (pink, tan/orange, chartreuse)
~ Christmas Charlies #8 (tan, pink, yellow)
~ Pseudo Shrimp
~ Chico's Bonefish Special #4
~ Raghead Crab #8,
~ Miheves Flats Fly #6 (tan, brown)
~ Rabbit-strip Gotcha #4 or #6
~ Shane’s Psycho Puff #4
~ Medium Rare #6
~ Flats Rabbit #6
~ Bone Voyage #6
~ Magnum Mantis #2 – 6, (tan, olive)
~ Big Bone

NOTE: We found at the Peace and Plenty Properties on Great Exuma that the bonefish prefer small flies (#6’s & 8’s) tied sparsely of crystal flash in varying colors: pink, chartreuse, silver, brown, yellow, beige. X-mas Charlies are perfect as well as Banded Charlies. Small bead chain eyes or no eyes at all, “blind,” seem to work the best. Keep your flies for Peace & Plenty simple and small. On Andros Island, bonefish eat the Gotcha fly eagerly. The fly should be dressed full and tied on #6’s, 4’s, & 2’s. Overall body length between 1 1⁄2 and 2 inches long. Don't be afraid to experiment with flies and design your own patterns. Who knows, we may call you requesting a sample to include in our catalog.

PERMIT FLY TACKLE:
Permit frequent the waters of the Bahamas in good numbers and it is not uncommon to see them on the flats while pursuing bonefish. Permit in the Bahamas range in size from 3 - 40 pounds with the average being between 8 and 15 pounds. Most often you will sight permit in deeper water (4 to 6 feet), along the edge flats or at the top of a high tide change. They call permit the fish of 10,000 casts, but who knows you may get lucky and casting to one of these sickle tailed ghosts is about as exciting as it gets. We recommend taking another, eight or nine weight rod and having it in the boat with you with a permit fly tied ready to go.

Fly Rods: A Multi-piece (3, 4 or 5 piece) 8, 9 or 10 weight fly rod in the nine-foot length is a great permit stick. Fly rods that have been especially designed for saltwater fly-fishing are the best choice and in that category we like the Sage Xi2 or Z-Axis Series, Scott X2S, Scott Saltwater S3S series, Winston Boron IIX rods.

Fly Reels: (150 - 200 yards of high-visibility 20-lb. backing) Fly reels specifically designed for saltwater fly-fishing are the ticket and make a difference. Reels with smooth disk drags, plenty of backing capacity and sturdy aluminum, one-piece anodized frames are what to look for. Models to consider include the Tibor Everglades QC or Riptide QC, Galvin Torque 8 or 10, Galvin Rush 8 or 10, Nautilus CCf 8 or 10 or NV series and.

Fly Lines: A saltwater tapered floating line is all you need. Scientific Anglers Mastery Redfish Saltwater Taper and the RIO Bonefish are the best going.

Leaders: Although expensive, fluorocarbon leaders are good choice for permit as they are nearly invisible in water, perfect for spooky fish (like Permit) in very gin-clear water. Seaguar's Fluorocarbon Leaders are the best 9 – 12 foot (12 – 20 pound) is what you want to bring.

Flies for Permit: There are a lot of permit crabs being pushed these days, but we have found only a few that consistently take fish. Here they are.
~ Bauer's Fur Crab # 6 (olive) &/or (tan)
~ Isley's Rag Head #2
~ Del's Merkin #2
~ Bauer's Mantis Shrimp #2 (olive) &/or (orange) A couple of these is fine.

TARPON FLY TACKLE:

Although tarpon are not what most fly fishers are chasing in the Bahamas, they are available and in pretty good numbers, especially in the fall and early winter months. Considered year-round residents, tarpon in the Bahamas are most often seen in and around creeks or around freshwater springs and blue holes. Most tarpon in the Bahamas range in size between 30 - 60 pounds; however, bigger fish are not out of the norm. Big tarpon, up to and over 100 pounds, are often sighted and casted to, especially on the west side of Andros Island. If you have a "Big Gun" (10 - 12 weight fly rods) bring it, as it may come in handy and there is no use leaving it at home. If you are interested in adding a tarpon rod to your arsenal for this trip, or another, here are some suggestions and recommendations that might help you.

Fly Rods: Multi-piece (3 - 5 piece) 10 - 12 weight fly rods in the nine foot length are the best choices. Fast tapered saltwater rods with plenty of butt strength and lifting power are what you are looking for. Good models to choose from include the Sage Xi2, or Z-Axis, Scott Saltwater S3S series and the Winston Boron IIX series.

Fly Reels: (minimum 200 yards of 30-lb. backing) A heavy-duty saltwater reel is a must here. Look for a reel with a smooth disk drag, plenty of backing capacity (30-pound), and a sturdy one-piece, machined, aluminum anodized frame. Models to consider are the Tibor Riptide QC or Gulfstream, Nautilus CCF 10, 12 or 12T, Galvin Rush 10 or 12or Galvin Torque 10 or 12. All of these reels are some of the best on the market and are definitely a lifetime investment--and then some.

Leaders: Leaders for tarpon fishing incorporate a shock tippet section married to a class tippet section, by a series of special knots. The reason for the shock-tippet is that a tarpon's mouth and lips are very abrasive and will wear through thin monofilament. If you are not into tying your own "Class Leaders," then we recommend the Frog Hair knotless shock tippet leaders. The 16 lb. class tippet / 60 lb. or 80lb. shock tippet leaders are the perfect choice. If you would like to tie your own tarpon leaders, some good reference books are Lefty Krey's "Fly Fishing in Saltwater" and "Practical Fishing Knots by Lefty Krey and Mark Sosin." We like to use clear, stiff monofilament or Fluorocarbon when constructing our class leaders. Any premium monofilament or Fluorocarbon will work; however, we have had best luck with Ande, Maxima or Seaguar.

Fly Lines: Ninety percent of tarpon fishing is done with a weight forward floating line and Scientific Anglers Mastery Tarpon Taper is one of the best. These specialty fly lines are specifically designed for saltwater fly fishing with a special braided monofilament core that provides the proper stiffness to allow excellent shooting while resisting tangles, even in tropical heat. In addition to your floater, an intermediate sinking line can be handy, especially when fishing over rolling tarpon in deeper water. Here again, Scientific Anglers Mastery Sinking-tip Tarpon Taper lines are terrific. These lines are abrasion resistant, with a very slick finish for distance casting, featuring a long tapered tip for delicate presentation and a clear color that won't easily spook fish. If you had to pick one line, go with the floater...

Flies for Tarpon: In general, tarpon flies for the Bahamas should be tied on 2/0 and 3/0 size hooks. Slight variations in shape and color can be all that is needed to entice tarpon into striking. Flies to consider are:
~ Marquesa Sunrise 3/0 ~ Lefty's Deceiver 3/0 (blue/white) (green/white) (gray/white)
~ Black Death 3/0 ~ Tarpon Alf 2/0 (green & blue)
~ Cockroach 3/0 ~ Flashtail Whistler 3/0 (red/white) (red/yellow)
~ Murphy R. M. Flatsides ~ Blackeye 3/0
~ Saltwater Clouser 1/0 ~ Clouser/Kreh Half & Half 1/0
~ Eclipse (tan, Black/red) 4/0

BARRACUDA & JACKS:

Barracuda are a blast to fish and a blast to catch. They are very aggressive and strike savagely leaving most anglers in awe of their speed. When hooked nothing can match a 'cudas initial run for speed and sheer violence…hold on! Jacks pull like a freight train and will eat just about anything you throw at them.

Most any medium weight rod will work for barracuda and Jacks. Your permit or bonefish/permit fly fishing outfit is perfect. For barracuda fishing you'll need a spool of nylon covered braided wire Sevalon or SevenStrand kink-resistant wire in the 40 lb. class. Flies: All you will need is The Fly Shop's Cuda Fly, Goddards Needlefish, and a chartreuse and white tarpon streamer with plenty of flashabou.