5 minute read
The Great Fly Dilemma
By Aaron Wood
sent a friend to Andros with six dozen custom bonefish flies. I spent weeks working on the selection, creating I what I thought was a diverse and multi-faceted selection of proven patterns with different sink rates, sizes, and colors. When I saw his call come through following his trip, I settled in, eagerly awaiting his report and excessive praise for my hand-picked selection and fly tying abilities.
“The guides only wanted to fish Gotcha Clousers,” he recounted, “they told me that nothing else in my box would work.” I was in disbelief, having spent hours at the vise hoping to provide him with a bounty of options and something “new.” I tried to ignore the petty annoyance, telling myself it wasn’t my flies — only that the guides didn’t have confidence in patterns outside of their favorites.
Opening your fly box for a new guide can be an anxietyinducing process. You study their face for any reaction: a disapproving frown, a confident smile, or a quizzical scratch of the temple. Often, the guide runs their hand over the flies as if they are translating braille. Eventually, they pluck out a single fly, bounce it in their palm to test the weight, and hand it over without a word. “He likes it, he likes it!” you think to yourself, waiting for a pat on the back and a “Way to go, Tiger!” that never arrives.
Fly selection is a touchy process, with guides and anglers often opinionated or downright stubborn about the patterns they trust. Confidence in specific fly patterns (or the lack thereof) is influenced by a multitude of factors, ranging from generational knowledge, personal experiences, and, most certainly, how a pattern has recently fished. Ask a guide what his favorite go-to pattern is, and it’s likely to be whatever fly fished well the day before. More specifically, if you ask a group of top guides from Cuba, the Yucatan, Belize, and the Bahamas what the all-time best permit fly is, you will likely hear a chorus of competing opinions. The chances of a group of seasoned and qualified guides agreeing on the same “best” fly is marginal at best.
Sometimes, the factors that go into fly selection can feel like a complicated mathematical equation: water depth x clarity x tidal movement ÷ habitat x lighting ÷ angling ability - guide preference + bottom color … the combinations are endless. So how do you put together the most relevant, effective, and proven selection of flies for different preferences and opinions when angling abroad? Here are a few key pieces of advice when it comes to buying, tying, or sourcing flies for your next adventure:
1. Keep An Open Mind (and Don’t Get Your Feelings Hurt)
Remember that a pattern that one guide swears by and loves, another guide may totally avoid. Suppose you arrive at a destination with a selection of flies you sourced after independent research or a collection you purchased through someone in the know. If that guide tells you that “nothing you have will work,” know that is simply not true. Fly “favorites” vary among guides, and a guide’s favorite pattern could simply be the last fly that brought a fish to hand!
2. Variety, Variety, Variety
By bringing a wide range of fly patterns, you have a better chance of getting on the same page with your guide (and – more importantly – the fish). Pattern, color, and size are all considerations, and changing any of these factors can sometimes make a difference. When a lodge recommends you bring a specific pattern that is their “go-to” fly, your best bet is to bring that pattern in a variety of colors, in a range of sizes, and – if the fly is a subsurface pattern – with different sink rates. While you likely won’t fish every pattern you bring, the flies you purchase or tie should last for many trips if they are cared for and protected. Fishing with a different guide each day of your trip? No problem. A diverse selection means that each guide will likely find something they want to fish.
3. Sink Rate Matters
Quite possibly the most critical component of fly selection in saltwater and numerous freshwater situations. With water depth changing due to location, terrain, and/or tidal movement, striking a balance between presentation and sink rate is essential to success. Depending on the target species and the general water depth, a variety of sink rates and weights can ensure you’re “in the zone” in almost any scenario. Remember that if the fish doesn’t SEE the fly, it doesn’t matter what pattern, size, or color it is.
4. Presentation > The Fly
This may be counterintuitive to previous suggestions, but it is an oft-overlooked component of fly selection. Some anglers get too caught up in fly choice, scapegoating or writing off a particular pattern when the bonefish they were targeting bolts into the blue. While the fly you tied with premium Snuffleupagus hair (hard to find, lately) on your grandfather’s heirloom hooks could have not been appealing to a particular bonefish, a poor presentation is far more likely to be the root cause of refusal. Too many false casts, smacking the water with the fly, an unnatural or inconsistent strip, the shadow from your line or leader … all of these factors are just as important as the fly pattern itself. Long story short, ensure your casting and presentation is up to par. The fly alone is unlikely to save you.
5. Confidence is Crucial
Faith in your fly selection is crucial. More experienced anglers have proven patterns and know that the right fish will move on the fly. When you’re totally confident in the pattern you’re fishing, it allows you to focus on the mechanics of the cast and the actual presentation without any nagging doubt. Always listen to your guide but be confident in what you’re fishing and convinced that no matter how a particular fish reacts, you’re in the game.
6. Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate
If you’re a fly tyer and have brought along a number of your own patterns or creations, chances are good you want to put them to the test. This also applies if you’ve purchased a large selection of flies you hope to fish! Once again, you want to trust your guide, and it makes sense to go with his local knowledge and flies he knows have been working. But don’t be afraid to discuss your patterns with your guide and be sure to mention any patterns you want to try. Once a fish or two has been landed, the pressure is “off” the guide, and the time can be right for throwing out, “how about we try one of THESE?”
