Equipment and Flies

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)
~ 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
~ Tuxedo Gotcha #6
~ Flats Rabbit #6
~ Bone Voyage #6
~ Magnum Mantis #2 – 6, (tan, olive)
~ Big Bone

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

Fly Lines:
A saltwater tapered floating line is all you need. Scientific Anglers Mastery Redfish Saltwater Taper is the best going, but the Bonefish Taper is good as well.

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 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 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 knottable wire in the 40 lb. class. Flies: All you will need is The Nasty Needle, Paulson’s Ka-Cuda, and a couple of Deceivers in chartreuse and white and blue and white.