Bonefish Fly Eyes

[Guy]

Hi Dick,

I was just wondering if you had any favorite eye colours for bonefish flies. I have been able to find gold, silver and black in bead chain. I am beginning to become partial to black and gold over silver myself, simply cuz I like the esthetics of finished fly with those colours. I don't know if it makes much difference to the bones or not. I have also started experimenting with glass bead eyes (so many neat colours such as pearl, pink, orange, peacock etc). I am thinking that glass eyes may be a bit lighter than bead chain and might work better in skinny water. They should also help in turning the hook point up and keeping the fly better balanced. Anyways that's my theory. Living in Alberta, I have lot more time to tie bonefish flies than fish them, and I don't get much opportunity to do a lot of testing. What are your feelings regarding eye colour and eye materials?

Thanks.

Guy

[Marshrunner]

Guy,

Ever since Bob Nauheim tied bead chain eyes on that first Crazy Charlie (it was actually first called the Nasty Charlie), round pairs of eyes have been a powerful tool for the bonefish angler and fly tier--both for creating realistic profile and functionally for sinking and turning over the fly. I like bead chain a lot and keep large quantities of it in every reasonable size I can find. I also use plastic "beadchain" to create profile for tailing flies without sinking the fly too fast. I have not experimented with glass beads, but expect they should serve well for both profile and weight, while adding the new dimensions of translucency and more colors to choose from.

Over time, I too have favored gold bead chain over silver. The longer I fish for bones, the more I respect their fear of the barracuda whose biggest danger indicator is flash. Over the eons, I think bones have developed an extraordinary sesitivity to flash and, on a bright day, those two tiny little chrome plated orbs that reflect in every direction can make happy fish nervous or nervous fish explode. Gold or brass beads on the other hand reflect less initially and end to devloping a pale patina when fished that lessens their shiny quality even more. I also use black bead chain for the same reason on flies where the darker eye stands out better, contrsted against the fly's other materials.

But, there are times, like darker days or deeper turbid water, when I actually want shinier flies and eyes can help achieve the effect. Phil Taylor's Dr. Taylor Special is a great fly for these conditions and I like it with chrome-plated dumbell eyes. Simrams with the same eyes are good for this condition too.

Dick

[Guy]

Thank you, Dick. I have enjoyed and learned from all of your informative replies to all of the posts in this section. Some of your observations have confirmed many of my own. Others have helped explain another bonefish "mystery" for me.

Thanks again. May the sun shine and the breezes be gentle next time you're on the flat!

Guy