# Help with some fly patterns



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Ahh yes, poor man's bonefish!

Just looked at that article and the funny thing is I met ole Gene about 22yrs ago. I read an article about guys from england catching mullet on fly and then Gene put one out not long after. He guides bass in Lake Tarpon and also guides Tarpon Springs and Anclote Key area. He's a good fly rod tarpon guide, but would just assume catching mullet, trout reds or bass on fly as well. Good guy, a little rough around the edges until he warms up to ya. 

Anyways, Gene showed me this little green fly he tied up that looks like a piece of algae or green moss that you would find on a rip rap rock underwater. Mullet feed on that stuff, ya know. That fly is a combination of olive green marabou and forest green marabou or chenille. The fly was no bigger than 1/2" tied on a #6 bronze or black chrome bream hook. You basically throw it in front of the school in the direction they are coming and let it free drift like a dry fly and just keep the slack out of the line or mend it. I've also had them eat a small olive schminnows tied on a #4 black chrome hook. They're a hoot on a 6wt.!

I'll have to try the san juan worm. Google it to see what materials to use. It's a very popular rainbow trout fly in some places.

There's a place straight due west on Hwy 50 called Mary's Fish Camp. There many people will chum the waters with oatmeal and fish for them with gold #8 bream hooks with little slivers of white rubber worms to resemble oat flakes. They'll string about 6 hooks with a weight at the end and the mullet will hit it so softly that you almost have to guess if the fish are on it or not. Anyways, I've tied up the smallest of flies (about 1/4 -1/3 inch) on #8 hooks with a 6wt clear intermediate sink line and just barely creep it along. Caught a lot of nice mullet for the smoker that way. But you have to keep them out of the docks there to land them, so I fished for them down the seawall and threw towards the docks.

Funny thing happens on occasion out in Tampa bay is I'll be wading a grass flat and will have one (about every other year) eat a clouser.

One note, when they are schooling up for the spawn (here this coming month), look for their gathering spots and use that olive green moss fly or one of those ones Gene mention. If no netters are on them and they remain calm, they will inhale those flies!  Imagine a bonefish that will grayhound jump! It's an exciting fish for a light fly rod that will peal off line into the backing!


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Ted you the man! Any comment on the Crazy Charlie Sandflea pattern he mentions? I googled that but nothing coming up as that exact pattern. Shoot me a pm or text that green fly too if you don't mind! Thanks man.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Megalops said:


> Ted you the man! Any comment on the Crazy Charlie Sandflea pattern he mentions? I googled that but nothing coming up as that exact pattern. Shoot me a pm or text that green fly too if you don't mind! Thanks man.


This is a basic hook you can start out with. They come in bronze and cheap at walmart or where ever. I also get them in the black chrome if you can find them since they are a little more salt resistant. Hey, these hooks will rust in salt. Rinse them real good when you get back and they may last a few more times. But who cares, they cost a dime to make! 

Eagle Claw also makes a hook called "Mr. Crappie" in a Platinum Black (same as black chrome). They are a tad bit more salt resistant due to their coating. These are my mainly freshwater hooks I use in fresh water from size 8-4. The mullet flies I will use 6-4.

Why do I use these hooks, cause mullet will gum your fly and if there is a heavy hook in it, they will spit it out before you will feel the take. But remember, it's thin wire, so you want to easy with the fish and finesse them in. No "down and dirty" putting the heat on them. Be easy on them and they wouldn't over work themselves and you wouldn't bend the hook or rip it out of their tender lips. Don't rod set the hook or you'll pull it out. Don't strip set it hard or you'll rip the hook out of their mouth. If you feel the bump or see your line twitch, then pull tight on the line with your stripping hand, rod still pointed at the fish and let the fish run to set the hook and THEN lift the rod. I like to fight them with the rod up high instead of to the side or "down and dirty." To me, they are a perfect 5-7wt fish since the flies are small, they are usually in wide open places and you need a easy presentation so you don't spook them. 6wt is my go-to choice rod, but they are still a hoot even on an 8wt.



I use an olive or olive grizzle marabou and a little green sometimes with it. I do like marabou since is't soft like alge. The smallest fly on the bottom is tied with EP fiber Golden Olive. The tails on the little shminnows are tied with dyed arctic fox body hair, but marabou works great too. The body is 2 different colors or an olive ice chenille or cactus chenille, with or antique colored bead chain (it matches the fly) with olive thread. Try to get the smallest amount of material you can find or borrow and don't get any volume cause it doesn't take much to tie up these flies. The reason I will have several colors is to see what they're keying in on. Once I figure out what they want, depending on time of year, conditions, water depth and clarity, etc., then I will tie a few up. Believe it or not, they wouldn't tear the flies up too bad since they have no teeth. So with that said, I will use between 10-15lb fluorocarbon tippet (at least 3ft) and no bite leader (you don't need it).

The sand juan worm pattern I use is mainly for rainbows on rare occasions and have taken bluegills and tilapia with it too. But never thought of it for mullet. But Gene is the man on that subject, so he knows and it makes sense to use them up river where the water becomes brackish or fresh, then ok. Anyway, I found some thin cord in on a package and grabbed it since it had that light brown color. You can check with a fabric store like JoAnn's, Hancock Fabrics, Walmart, to try to find some. Most of those places will let you buy a foot or two to try it out. I tie the belly to the hook with either with red thread or olive and then finish with Sally Hansens hard as nails.

The Sand Flea in the pic above and below is a sand flea pattern that I've been playing around with for beach pomps or whatever. Again, I never though of mullet eating sand fleas but, OK! LOL Makes sense if they are schools off the beaches and the sand fleas would probably have to be small (which there is more small than large). I can't say it's a crazy charlie but possibly a variation. Mine has size small white painted lead dumbbell eyes with the black spot painted white (never seen a sand flea with eyes). The heavy lead eyes helps the fly to dredge the sand bottom, especially when I use a clear intermediate sinking line. That dredging causes the sand to puff up which catches their attention. The orange threading down the shank gives it that egg roe effect and I threw in 2 white rubber legs for those rear antenna and of course, it has barred sili legs cut short. The wing is off white ultra hair or EP fiber trimmed in a football shape.


It's ugly but it works and one of many sand flea patterns I'm playing around with and tweaking for pompano or whatever. Who knows, a mullet might grab it!


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## fishicaltherapist (Mar 9, 2013)

Ted, I believe you are the College of Knowledge of fly fishing and appreciate you sharing it. BTW, Jeremy Hunt in Missouri, a great Trout guide and fly tier is a source for San Juan flies.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

fishicaltherapist said:


> Ted, I believe you are the College of Knowledge of fly fishing and appreciate you sharing it. BTW, Jeremy Hunt in Missouri, a great Trout guide and fly tier is a source for San Juan flies.


Nah, I'm not all that. Just sharing what I've learned from doing it.

I'll have to look up Jeremy. Thanks for that and your kind remarks!


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Thanks Ted!


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Megalops said:


> Thanks Ted!


NP! Go get chu some po mans bones! Hah! lol

Humm ~thinks~ might have ta fire up the ole smoka mahself! lol
<' )-((((---<


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## Foreverglades93 (Dec 20, 2015)

Backwater said:


> This is a basic hook you can start out with. They come in bronze and cheap at walmart or where ever. I also get them in the black chrome if you can find them since they are a little more salt resistant. Hey, these hooks will rust in salt. Rince them real good when you get back and they may last a few more times. But who cares, they cost a dime to make!
> 
> Eagle Claw make a hook called Mr. Crappie in a Platinum Black (same as black chrome). These are my main freshwater hooks I use in fresh water from size 8-4. The mullet flies I will use 6-4.
> 
> ...


The green ball-ish looking flies are awesome. I'm upset I never thought of that. Then again I've needed even thought about trying to catch a mullet on fly, they must jump a lot? If you've ever watched a school a mullet, they all come up and eat the very tiny pieces of weeds on the surface. So any green, light fly that resembles a piece of weeds on the surface would probably work. Tight lines!


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