[ibefisherman]

Hey all,

I am heading for the keys April 15th (Cudjoe Area)for a few weeks of fun. I have been to keys a lot and know where i like to go to so I don't any "spots". I plan on taking bunnies, gurglers, Avalon, toads and a few others. I am a basically /new fly tying person. What I would like to know is what you could suggest as in other basic flies i could tie and take with me. The most "complicated" fly i have tied so far is the Avalon. Thanks all for any suggestions and help.
Rich

 

[bryson]

I can't help much with the current Keys tarpon flies, but I would be willing to guess that the top producers are not overly complicated flies.

Just guessing here, I think the general theme in the Keys is to keep tarpon flies small and sparse, unless you get good intel that says otherwise.

edit -- sorry I misread your post and thought were were talking about tarpon flies specifically. Can't help much with bonefish/permit flies, but I think whatever I chose to tie, I would do two different weight variants for different water depths, as well as maybe two color variants for sandy or grassy bottom.

 

[Stormy Monday]

I had a little luck with toads in Puerto Rico last week, but when that turned off I put on a #1 hollow tie in white & olive craft fur, stripped slowwww and they were all over that one. It's a really fast fly to tie and works for many species. Good one to have in the box..

 

[ibefisherman]

Thanks for the information!

 

[k-roc]

I've never heard of anyone in the Keys using the Avalon. It's a mantis shrimp pattern, seeing as it works great in Cuba, one would think it would work in the Keys!
Apparently most of the permit are offshore spawning in April, so you may not get a chance to try it for them. Bones might eat it, let me know how it goes.

 

[kbanashek]

Tarpon - light(yellow/orange) and dark(black/purple) bunnies
Bones/Perms - Shrimp patterns bead & lead w/weed guards and eyes:
http://toflyfish.com/shrimp-fly-patterns-internal-color/

Perms don't just eat crabs, shrimp patterns IMO are much easier to work and have look natural in the water column.

This is pretty much all I carry in my box now-a-days in Islamorada.

 

[ibefisherman]

I've never heard of anyone in the Keys using the Avalon. It's a mantis shrimp pattern, seeing as it works great in Cuba, one would think it would work in the Keys!
Apparently most of the permit are offshore spawning in April, so you may not get a chance to try it for them. Bones might eat it, let me know how it goes.

Have a friend down there and uses Avalon a lot and does well

 

[ibefisherman]

Tarpon - light(yellow/orange) and dark(black/purple) bunnies
Bones/Perms - Shrimp patterns bead & lead w/weed guards and eyes:
http://toflyfish.com/shrimp-fly-patterns-internal-color/

Perms don't just eat crabs, shrimp patterns IMO are much easier to work and have look natural in the water column.

This is pretty much all I carry in my box now-a-days in Islamorada.

Great thanks! for information, will give it a try