Overview
This Charlie Craven pattern from Charlie's Fly Box demonstrates the effectiveness of sparse, well-tied bonefish flies that don't spook wary fish on clear flats. The Kind Herb uses lighter bead chain eyes instead of heavy lead eyes, giving the fly a slower sink rate that keeps it in the strike zone longer over shallow sand flats. The polar fiber tail provides lifelike movement without bulk, while the shredded diamond braid adds subtle flash that mimics the translucent quality of natural shrimp. The Laser Dub body creates an impressionistic silhouette that suggests prey without triggering refusal from educated fish.
Related patterns
Behavior & presentation
- Natural Behavior
- Shrimp propel backward using rapid tail flexions, leaving small puffs of disturbed sand on flats. These movements betray their location on otherwise featureless bottoms. Bonefish evolved to feed extensively on these bottom-dwelling crustaceans in reliable feeding zones.
- Where Trout Eat It
- Bonefish hunt shrimp near the bottom over sand, turtle grass, and marl in depths from inches to several feet on ocean flats.
- How to Fish It
- Let sink to bottom then use short slow strips when fish approach. Subtle sink rate allows natural movement without diving into substrate.
- Best Water
- Cover sand flats, grass edges, channels, and depth transitions where shrimp concentrate near protective bottom structure.
- Strike Type
- Line accelerates or goes tight as fish inhale near bottom.
Fishing strategy
- Rigging Suggestions
- Fish on a 9-10 foot leader tapering to 10-12 lb fluorocarbon tippet. The fluorocarbon helps the fly sink and provides abrasion resistance around coral and shells.
- Seasonal Timing
- Effective in tropical and subtropical bonefish destinations. Peak fishing typically coincides with warmer months when bonefish actively cruise shallow flats.
- Pro Tips
- The shell pink coloration and tan body blend with sandy bottoms while the flash provides enough visibility for fish to locate the fly. The bead chain eyes provide a gentle sink without heavy splashing.
Entomology
Shrimp propel themselves backward through shallow water using rapid tail flexions, leaving small puffs of disturbed sand that betray their location on otherwise featureless flats. Bonefish evolved to feed extensively on these crustaceans because shrimp concentrate near the bottom where their camouflage is most effective, creating reliable feeding zones that fish can patrol efficiently.
- Organism
- crustacean
- Life stage
- general
Pattern details
- Saltwater
- Caribbean
- Rocky Mountain
- sight-fishing
- strip-retrieve
- flats