Bonefish Bitters

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Description

The Bonefish Bitters is a versatile searching pattern for saltwater flats that imitates crabs, shrimp, and general crustacean fare. Designed by Craig Matthews at Turneffe Flats Lodge in Belize, it features a weedless UV resin head and bead chain eyes that allow it to work over turtle grass and weedy sand without snagging. Tied in amber and olive, it is effective for bonefish, permit, and carp in sizes 6–8.

Materials

Tying Instructions

1.
Wrap a thread base along the clean shank of a stainless saltwater hook, from the eye to the bend and back again.
2.
Secure medium bead chain eyes at the 75% point of the shank using several tight figure-8 wraps.
3.
Tie in three strands of olive Z-Lon at the hook bend to serve as an underwing, wrapping forward over the butt ends to anchor them.
4.
Attach a set of barred olive Sili Legs on each side of the shank at the 60% point using firm figure-8 wraps.
5.
Attach a second set of barred olive Sili Legs on each side at the 45% point along the shank.
6.
Attach a third set of barred olive Sili Legs on each side just behind the bead chain eyes using figure-8 wraps.
7.
Tie in a clump of natural all-purpose deer hair at the hook bend with two-thirds of the fibers extending forward past the rear leg attachment point.
8.
Wrap the Z-Lon underwing forward over the deer hair butt ends to anchor the hair to the shank.
9.
Stack the deer hair fibers forward toward the eye, trimming the tips so the hair extends just to the rear of the bead chain eyes.
10.
Build a smooth thread head forward of the bead chain eyes and whip finish.
11.
Trim the deer hair into a rounded carapace shape and the legs to approximately the length from the chain eyes to the rear leg attachment point.
12.
Apply clear UV fly finish around the bead chain eyes to form a compact, weedless head.