Saltwater – tropical
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{{+1}}Gusto – sunburst variant{{-1}}
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This is my variant of Peter Morse' Gusto fly and is one of my go to flies when targeting barramundi in Lake Awonga.
It's dressed on a #3/0 34007 stainless hook which is quite a heavy hook and that creates an effective "keel" effect. It has a long marabou tail and a dense hackle collar which creates plenty of currents around the fly that really get the marabou moving.
The overall length of the finished fly is around 10cm long.
| Hook | Eyes | Thread | Tail | Tail Flash | Body | Front hackle |
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| Tiemco 34007 stainless in size #3/0 | Spirit River 'real eyes' 7/32" | My preference is white cotton | Yellow marabou blood plume | Sure Strike violet krystal flash - 6 strands | FNF jelly chenille in Picricish colour | One red saddle hackle and one grizzly hackle died deep red |
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Making the tail is a 3 step process |
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This fly need a dense array of hackles that fill the remain free space on the hook shank so select hackles that have some fluffy barbules and a majority of hackle barbules that are about 1.5 times the gape of the hook. For this fly I have selected a red saddle hackle and a grizzly hackle that has been died red. Depending on the length of your hackles you may need up to 4 hackles. |
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Last Updated: April 28, 2018
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{{+1}}Chatto’s blue water minnow{{-1}}
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This is a larger blue water version of my very successful 'Flats minnow". It's a very fishy looking fly and has a little blood spot that adds to the appearance of the fly being a wounded fish.{{end}}
{{+1}}Articulated swimmer – “brown bomber” with optional rattle{{-1}}
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Hard bodied Brown bomber lures are very popular as a lures for targeting barra and jacks in Queensland waters and most lure fishers have at least on in the lure tray. Based on the colours of the 'brown bomber' lure, particularly if I am targeting barra in fresh water dams like Awonga that are often a bit tannin stained, it's a fly I don't hesitate to tie on.{{end}}
{{+1}}Articulated swimmer – mega – orange & yellow with rattle{{-1}}
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This mega sized version of that original fly is my go to fly when I know I am targeting particularly big barra. It's tied on a size #3/0 Mustard 34007 hook and at 15cm long it's an uncomfortable fly to cast properly for long durations but I am happy to tie it on to target a specific fish or to fish that short period of the ebb tide when I am targeting big barra known to haunt bridge pylons and mid river structures that are only accessible for the short period of the ebb tide.{{end}}
{{+1}}Christmas Island special{{-1}}
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With just these seven colour each tied in two sizes and a couple of weights you will be ready for some fantastic bonefish sessions on the flats. Christmas Island Special in: Pink, Pearl, Orange – rich, Orange - light, Violet, Chartreuse & Yellow.{{end}}
{{+1}}Chatto’s flats minnow{{-1}}
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This is a fly that I developed specifically for sight fishing on the flats to the likes of bream, flathead, bonefish and permit. It's a very fishy looking fly and has a little blood spot that adds to the appearance of the fly being a wounded fish.{{end}}
{{+1}}Mud prawn – large 9cm or 10cm long{{-1}}
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This is the biggest version of my Mud Prawn Fly and the one that I use when chasing barramundi in relatively clear salt water around structure such as drowned timber. It's a very durable fly that swims hook point up so that it's fairly snag resistant. It is designed not only to provide a representation of a prawn that is readily taken by barra of all sizes but it can be crept slowly over logs and other structure giving the maximum time for fish to respond, can be fished like a soft plastic or can be fished as a faster moving fleeing prawn.{{end}}
{{+1}}Rubber legged olive gotcha{{-1}}
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This is a popular rubber tailed Gotcha type fly which is very similar to other peoples ties. It has it's place in your bonefish fly box for those occasions where the bones shy away from the bright colours of most other bone fish flies.{{end}}
{{+1}}Aitutaki secret{{-1}}
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This is a popular rubber tailed Gotcha type fly designed by Christopher Hall, an Aitutaki regular for targeting big bonefish.{{end}}
{{+1}}Rubber legged gotcha – orange & pearl{{-1}}
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If your heading off on a fishing trip the gotcha fly in a few colour combinations and a couple of sizes should definitely be included in you fly box. I was looking at the Fulling Mills bonefish flies and one of them was predominately orange with a pearl body ... this is my version of that combination. It doesn't matter if it's fresh or salt water orange is one of those trigger colours for fish.{{end}}