CI Crystal Flash Fly
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 all round size.
Thread – Orange, Coral (light pink) or Tan flat waxed 210 denier.
Eyes – Weighted : Real eyes (small) or plain Brass Hourglass.
Unweighted : Bead chain (medium).
Flash/Wing – Krystal flash or Midge krystal flash in Pearl, Tan, Pink, Orange or Root beer.
Finished flies
Tie CI Krystal flash flies 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 8 full length strands of tapered (varied end lengths) Krystal flash or Midge Krystal flash at the back leaving about 10mm extending past the tie in point as a tail.
Stage 3 – Fold back the rest of the flash over the tail and advance the thread up the hook shank and tie in chosen eyes on top about 3mm 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 a wing. Trim the now separated flash strands if needed to about 1½ x the hook length.
Stage 5 – Whip finish and cut the thread, then seal the bindings and entire body with some more Head set, Vinyl cement, Nail varnish etc to stop any unraveling after it has caught many fish. The fly is complete.
NOTE : Fish fly on a floating line with a fluorocarbon tippet (12lb) for best results.