Overview
This Charlie Craven pattern from Charlie's Fly Box showcases the art of creating ultra-realistic shrimp imitations for wary bonefish. The pattern incorporates multiple techniques that elevate it beyond standard bonefish flies, including melted mono eyes with colored resin tips and careful marker work to simulate the natural coloration of mantis shrimp and other crustaceans. The fire orange thread adds subtle color accents visible through the body material, while the combination of Super Floss and Polar Fibre creates lifelike movement in the water.
Related patterns
Behavior & presentation
- Natural Behavior
- Mantis shrimp emerge from sandy burrows to forage with deliberate, stalking movements, extending specialized appendages while scanning for threats with mobile eyes. Their segmented bodies and orange mouthparts distinguish them from standard shrimp, creating a high-value target that bonefish recognize and pursue aggressively despite the crustacean's defensive capabilities.
- Where Trout Eat It
- Bonefish target this pattern on Andros Island, Bahamas, Belize, Mexico, and Seychelles flats where mantis shrimp and crustaceans forage. The melted mono eyes with green resin, orange mouthparts, and detailed markings create ultra-realistic profile for selective fish in clear water at 1-4 foot depths.
- How to Fish It
- Strip in short bursts across flats, pausing frequently to let fly settle. The pattern swims with relatively long distances when stripped, creating visual display that triggers bonefish adjustment and aggression—different from slow, short dart theory.
- Best Water
- Fish Andros Island, Bahamas, Belize, Mexico, and Seychelles grass edges, sand pockets, and channel swings where selective bonefish scrutinize prey in clear, shallow flats.
- Strike Type
- Expect aggressive grabs followed by blistering runs—when the line comes tight, keep rod tip low and strip set hard twice to ensure solid hook penetration.
Fishing strategy
- Rigging Suggestions
- Fish on an 8-9 weight rod with tropical floating line. Use 10-12 lb fluorocarbon tippet for abrasion resistance and invisibility. Leader length of 10-12 feet allows for stealthy presentations on spooky fish.
- Seasonal Timing
- effectiveness in tropical and subtropical bonefish destinations. Fish respond to this pattern throughout the seasons wherever bonefish actively hunt crustaceans on the flats.
- Pro Tips
- The bead chain eyes allow controlled sink rate while the pearl body provides subtle flash. The shrimp-colored overwing and careful marker work create a realistic silhouette that bonefish recognize as natural prey.
Entomology
Mantis shrimp and similar crustaceans inhabit sandy bottoms where they emerge to forage, using their specialized appendages to probe for food while remaining alert to predators. These high-energy prey items provide exceptional nutrition, making them priority targets for bonefish that recognize their distinctive body shape and translucent coloration.
- Organism
- crustacean
- Life stage
- general
Pattern details
- Saltwater
- Caribbean
- Rocky Mountain
- Central America
- Seychelles
- sight-fishing
- strip-retrieve
- flats
- low-clear-water
