Christmas Island Special

Recipe

Hooks – Preferred types – Gamakatsu SL45s, Mustad Big Game’s and Mustad Tarpon’s.  Preferred sizes – 8, 6, or 4,  size 6 is the best allround size.

Thread – Orange, Coral (light pink) or Tan flat waxed 210 denier.

Eyes – Weighted : I balz 5/32, Real eyes (small) or plain Brass Hourglass.

Unweighted : Beadchain (medium).

Flash – Krystal flash or Midge krystal flash in Pearl, Tan, Pink, Orange or Rootbeer.

Wing – Craft fur, Fly fur, EP silky fibre, Rabbit or Artic fox preferably in a light tan colour or perhaps a light pink or orange.

Finished flies

Tie CI Special’s in varied hook sizes and eye weights to suit the size of the Bonefish and the depth of the water.

Roughly : lightly weighted medium Beadchain for water under knee depth and heavy weighted eyes for water above knee depth.

Stage 1 – Lay down a thread base up to the hook barb.

Stage 2 – Tie in 4 full length strands of Krystal flash or Midge Krystal flash at the back and bind forward over the loose ends.

Stage 3 – Advance the thread up the hook shank and tie in chosen eyes on top about 4mm back from the hook eye with a few cross wraps in both directions, followed by half a dozen square lashings, with a few more cross wraps over the top to finish.

NOTE : a small thread bulge behind the tie in point can help when positioning the eyes.

Stage 4a – Twist the strands of Krystal flash or Midge Krystal flash together to make a braid (with fingers), then wrap the braid over the thread base up the hook shank to form a body.

Stage 4b – Wrap the braided flash strands a couple of times around the eye bindings then turn the fly over and tie off the ends on top (facing back) as wing flash. Trim the now separated flash strands if needed to about 1 1/3 x the hook length. Seal the thread bindings and entire body with Head set, Vinyl cement, Nail varnish etc. This will make the fly more robust.

Stage 5a – Cut off a small (sparse) bunch of Fly fur (or desired wing material), pinch between your fingers and pull out the short under fur.

NOTE : Keep under fur in a small snap lock plastic bag for use as a dubbing or body material on future Crab and Shrimp flies.

Stage 5b – Most of the wing materials mentioned in the recipe will already have a natural taper (feather out to a point), if not, taper the material at this stage to the desired shape (Slip the material between fingers). Try not to taper the wing with your scissors after it has been tied in (usually an undesirable result). Hold the wing material on top and tie in once you are comfortable with the position and length (about 1 1/3 x hook length to the tips). Then trim off the excess just behind the hook eye and bind over with the thread.

Whip finish and cut the thread, then seal the head bindings with some more Head set, Vinyl cement, Nail varnish etc. The fly is complete.

NOTE : Fish fly on a floating line with a fluorocarbon tippet (12lb) for best results.