What are your best recon flies for saltwater expedition?

[matuka15]

I'm venturing into the unknown starting next week. I'm going into central Philippines to see if I could open up areas there as a saltwater flyfishing destination.

I've been tying mostly deceivers, clousers, crazy Charlies and poppers. I'm bringing my travel 8-, 9- and 10- wt rigs paired with floating, sinking and intermediate lines. I'm trying to go as light as possible--- thus, "recon."

What else should I tie that is/are not represented nor approximated by the patterns I mentioned above? Consider weight, bulk and ruggedness of the pattern, please. The airlines are really clamping down on the check-in luggage game. I'm also not the best tyer out there, but I can dub and whip like a pro (see pics).

Thanks in advance.

 

[karstopo]

The borski slider is known as a bonefish pattern, but it works for most every saltwater fish I’ve put it in front of here in Texas. Jack Crevalle are a close relative (same genus, Caranx)as the more famous In

do-Pacific Giant Trevally and a Jack Crevalle, a.k.a. Black-Tailed Trevally will take a borski slider with gusto. So will picky Sheepshead, whiting, and croaker. It doesn’t foul. It can be tied with different dumbbells to have a different sink rate. Sharp toothed fish will eventually destroy one, but not as quickly as those same fish will destroy a deer tail tied clouser.

For a super durable and versatile pattern it’s hard to beat redfish crack. In spite of the name, it too works across species. It can be tied a little bigger than the borski slider and still cast and work well.

The two patterns side by side.

Both have the advantage of riding hook point up so as to offer some natural protection against snags on bottom obstructions. Redfish crack can have an additional weed guard added if desired.

 

[karstopo]

Redfish Crack can be done with all durable synthetic materials. Use Steve Farrar Blend for the tail as a substitute for less, but still durable craft fur, if durability is a primary concern. The Enrico Puglisi collar and estaz under belly are also very resistant to damage from toothy saltwater fish. One fly will last through many many fish.

 

[peterjay]

Don't forget to throw some woolly buggers in your box. They'll catch fish anywhere, regardless of species. Lefty Kreh mentioned using them successfully on bonefish when nothing else was working. They might be too unsophisticated for current tastes, but the fact is, they work.

 

[camelbrass]

I'm a very big clouser fan when I'm prospecting new water and use them from size 8 to 4/0. I've found that relatively sparsely tied ones with very little to no flash work best on tropical fish. Take some in natural colours (like grey/white, blue/white or tan/white) and some in attractor colours like chartreuse, yellow or pink. Add some crab patterns like the Alphlexo or the Velcro crab and some buggy shrimp patterns in both light and dark colours and you're covered.

Regards,


Trevor

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

 

[moucheur2003]

My go-to baitfish pattern is Lefty's Deceiver. I tie it sparse or full in a variety of sizes and colors to suggest different bait species. Sounds like you've got that base covered.

I like Gotchas, but if you've already tied up some Crazy Charlies that's probably close enough.

Here in New England you always want to have a few of Bob Popovics' Surf Candies. However, they are fussy to tie and I don't know whether they match the bait where you're going. Tying The Surf Candy | MidCurrent

My favorite shrimp is Dron Lee's Cuban Shrimp. I tie a lighter (almost white) one and a darker (tan-brown) one, using variegated chenille for a mottled effect. Here's the step-by-step: Fly Tying Nation: Cuban Shrimp It's worth looking around the rest of his blog for other ideas -- he's based in Malaysia and some of his other saltwater patterns might match your local conditions: Fly Tying Nation: Saltwater Nation - Saltwater fly pattern

For really easy crab patterns, search YouTube for the "Sand Crab" pattern from Fly Tyers Dungeon and the "EP Crab" pattern using an Enrico Puglisi dubbing brush from In the Riffle. They are essentially the same pattern, using rough leggy dubbing spun on and trimmed to shape for the crab body. The dubbing brush is easier and quicker but the material is more expensive.

Those Borski Sliders up above look great! If I had to tie them it would take me a long time to spin the deer hair around the dumbbell eyes and get it right, though. Nice job, Karstopo!

 

[Rip Tide]

One year I purposely used just yellow over white Deceivers for the entire season
Different lengths and profiles, but all yellow over white Deceivers.
As far as I'm concerned they're the most versatile fly for any fish, anywhere.

 

[CWFlies]

Going anywhere that is saltwater I generally make sure I bring a few baitfish patterns, a top water (NYAP or gurgler), and a shrimp pattern. Here are some examples of what i would bring.

 

[Angler Management]

I have a “all around” recon box

4 clousers- white and chart
4 clousers - white and tan w/flash
4 deceiver - 2 blue back 2 green back
6-8 EP minnow patterns (2-3 ghost, 2 olive and 2 black/purple)
2-3 shrimp, grey/brown type of flies.

 

[moucheur2003]

New England: blue over white and olive over white deceivers, tied with grizzly saddle hackle

Bahamas: Dron Lee's Cuban Shrimp

 

[bigjim5589]

Many great choices already mentioned. Bendbacks & Seaducers, Gurglers, and Crease flies all are worthwhile for saltwater fishing. Murdich Minnows too, although I tie them a little different than the original. Various crab or shrimp patterns.

 

[bigjim5589]

This one has a rattle in the body.

 

[karstopo]

Speckled trout love shrimp. The surf was full of bait, shrimp, 3-4” menhaden, big and little mullet, but it was the shrimp they wanted. The mullet were relaxed. Not much went for the menhaden.

This fish above and several more Speckled trout plus some sand trout came on the pink version of this shrimp pattern I use when shrimp are on the menu.

Shrimp come in pink, brown and white versions around here. Brown was the recent type so I tied those up.

Tan borski sliders also work, but the shrimp pattern can work when the borski slider won’t.

 

[lacivic99]

Those are some tasty looking shrimp flies. Great all purpose fly considering everything in the ocean eats shrimp. You got a name or recipe for this pattern?

 

[karstopo]

No name really. I derived it from Casey Smartt’s Shrimp, except his version is basically the burnt mono eyes, flash and trimmed EP. I added the hundred or so bells and whistles.


Size 2 or 4 60 degree jig hook, mustad duratin.
5/32” slotted tungsten bead
210 denier thread of equivalent
3mm Pyrex rattle
Root beer, orange or pearl Estaz
Flash
Silicone legs
6/0 Czech Glass seed beads
60 pound monofilament
EP fiber
Steve Farrar Blend

Put bead on hook to hook eye. Put hook in vise hook point down. Wrap hook shank with thread. Put 3mm rattle on top ( will be on bottom at the end) and secure with thread. Position should be blunt end of rattle just to the rear of 60 degree bend.

Move thread to hook bend. Secure 3” of Estaz. Wrap Estaz forward and around both sides of rattle. Form a little ball just forward of hook bend with a few wraps of Estaz. Tie in a couple strands of flash for antenna. Tie in legs, 3 or 4 pairs. Cut 2” 60 pound mono and thread on two beads. Burn one end of mono and push on the bead while still hot and molten, repeat for other bead. Should be about an inch of mono with two beads melted into either end. Loop over end of rattle, beads should be at rear beyond hook bend and facing down at a slight angle ( will be up on finished fly). Secure in eyes with many wraps of thread.

Form 6”dubbing loop near hook bend. Put in a very small amount of EP fiber and form a 5” very thin brush. Wrap forward to tungsten bead. Secure.

Flip over hook in vise. Lay Steve Farrar Blend over the EP to form the shrimp horn and back, about 2” of Steve Farrar Blend. Steve Farrar Blend should fit in between the shrimp eyes. Put a small drop of thin UV and spread over Steve Farrar Blend from hook bend to tungsten bead. Light it up.

Trim EP to form and shape into a shrimp.

Colors are variable. I like menhaden or white EP for body. Steve Farrar Blend, I like mullet brown, burnt orange, light pink, light Chartreuse, purple. I like to put a few strands of black Steve Farrar Blend for the vein.

It’s a pain in the r**r to tie and not something you will crank out in a hurry. It’s probably not anything anyone with a life or pain adverse will want to do...

It will catch anything that eats shrimp, though. I went out today mid afternoon to a walk in spot public park, bank fishing where folks go and soak bait. It’s essentially a mud hole. Tried a borski slider and got nada. Water might have 1’ of visibility at best, more like 8”. Put on a burnt orange shrimp. Caught several small redfish, a good sized croaker and a 17” southern flounder (that one came home with me) in short order. Three guys soaking live and dead shrimp caught a couple of small croaker. This fly often out fishes bait.

 

[TpaBayFlyFisher]

Here is another vote for the Borski bonefish slider. It pushes water which is good in darker water. It looks natural in clear water-stripped fast like a minnow or slowly like a shrimp. And, it can be tied with a mono weed guard for snag able bottom.......

 

[karstopo]

Here is another vote for the Borski bonefish slider. It pushes water which is good in darker water. It looks natural in clear water-stripped fast like a minnow or slowly like a shrimp. And, it can be tied with a mono weed guard for snag able bottom.......

I actually think the name hurts this fly. The bonefish part. Because of that, it gets overlooked as a great all around saltwater pattern and fished just as you mentioned.

I fished our Upper Texas Coast Surf Saturday morning. Water was a little sandy, but green with a 1.5-2’ of visibility, not clear and not opaque.

I would let it fall and drift in the minimal current and get fish as it dropped to the sand. I’d strip it in faster at times up in the water column and get fish on the pause. The ladyfish and bluefish were a little higher and wanted it faster and the Speckled trout down a bit.

But the Borski bonefish slider will catch about any inshore saltwater
species around here, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a local following for this pattern. I’d pick a tan Borski Bonefish Slider over a Clouser, you pick the color, any day of the week and twice on Sundays for an all around, all water conditions saltwater fish getter. The name “bonefish” attached to it keeps it from being more widely tied and used, at least here in Texas. No bonefish to speak of except an occasional stray one way south.