On Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 61 (How 2 Tuesday #20), I show you how to choose the right bonefish fly for the water in front of you. The choice comes down to sink rate, size, color, and profile, and it is driven by depth and tide. In very shallow water with tailing fish, I want a light fly that lands softly and settles slowly. In deeper water, I want a fly that sinks faster so it reaches the bottom in time. The angler with a box of varied sink rates outfishes the one carrying a hundred flies that all sink the same.
Listen now: Spotify · Apple Podcasts · or press play in the player above.
I choose a bonefish fly based on the situation in front of me, and the situation is set by the depth and the tide. The most important factor is how fast the fly sinks, because I need it resting on the bottom by the time the fish arrives. I carry flies of different sink rates, different sizes, and different profiles so I can match whatever water I am fishing that day.
I focus on sink rate rather than weight because different fly styles sink at different speeds even when they carry the same eyes. A sparsely tied fly drops straight to the bottom like a piece of lead, while a fly with a lot of material parachutes and falls slower. What I really want is a box with a range of sink rates so I can put the fly on the bottom at the right moment in any depth.
I bring a wide range of sizes on every trip. I want some really small flies for very spooky tailing fish in incredibly shallow water, all the way up to big, almost permit-size flies with heavy lead eyes for deeper water. Having that spread of sizes means I am ready whether the fish are tailing in five inches of water or holding in three feet.
A toad style fly has a fat head made of yarn tied perpendicular to the hook shank, so it looks kind of like a crab, usually with a rabbit or craft fur tail. That material gives it a parachuting effect, so even with heavy lead eyes it sinks slower and lands very softly. I throw a toad style fly at tailing fish in very shallow water, where a sparsely tied fly with lead eyes might spook them.
It depends on the bottom I am fishing. Over pure sand I do not need a weedless fly. When I come into the Florida Keys and fish over turtle grass, a fly that is not weedless catches weeds on every single cast. That is why I make sure my box includes some weedless flies and some that are not, so I am covered on both kinds of bottom.
When bonefish are tailing in very shallow water and I roll up and throw a heavy weighted fly right out in front of them, it lands hard and typically scares them off the flat. In that situation I switch to a much lighter fly that lands softly and falls slowly, so I can lead the fish, know where my fly is, and have it resting on the bottom by the time the bonefish swims over.
Here is the approach I use to pick the right bonefish fly every time I step onto a flat.
I walk through each of these in detail, with the on-the-water reasons behind them, in the episode. Press play in the player above.
There are incredibly talented tiers out there making bonefish flies that look perfect, but looks are not what put fish in the boat. What matters is whether the fly is resting on the bottom at the moment the fish arrives. Two flies can carry the same eyes and sink at completely different speeds depending on how much material is tied on them. That is why I think in terms of sink rate, not just weight, and why the angler with varied sink rates outfishes the one with a zillion flies that all drop the same. I explain exactly how I sort my box in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The fastest way to ruin a shot at tailing bonefish in skinny water is to throw a heavy fly that lands hard right on top of them. They scatter off the flat and the chance is gone. In that moment I reach for a much lighter fly that lands softly and falls slowly, so I can lead the fish, know where my fly sits, and let it settle to the bottom before the bonefish gets there. A toad style fly with its parachuting material is one of my answers for those spooky, shallow situations. I break down the full thought process in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The bottom decides as much as the depth does. Over pure sand I do not worry about weeds, but the second I fish over turtle grass in the Florida Keys, a fly that is not weedless fouls on every single cast. That is why I carry weedless and non-weedless options, along with a spread of profiles, long and slender, short and fat, shrimp patterns and crab patterns, so I can match whatever the fish are eating and wherever I am standing. I share how I plan a trip's fly selection in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Choosing a bonefish fly is not about owning the prettiest patterns. It is about reading the depth and tide in front of you and putting a fly on the bottom at the right moment without spooking the fish.
If you build a box with varied sink rates, a range of sizes and profiles, and both weedless and non-weedless options, you will be ready for whatever the flat gives you. That is the whole game. Press play in the player above and I will walk you through it.
Bonefish · Christmas Island · The Bahamas · Florida Keys · tailing fish · sink rate · lead eyes · crystal flash · Charlie wing · toad style fly · merkin · craft fur · turtle grass · weedless flies · shrimp and crab patterns · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill at a time, from fly selection and casting to gear and tactics, in short, focused episodes you can put to use on your next trip.
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