Crazy Charlie

Saltwater fly imitating baitfish and shrimp and scuds, for bonefish. Beginner. Bob Nauheim, 1977.

Bead-chain eyes near the eye, a pearl body under clear ribbing, and a white calf tail wing with a little pearl flash on the hook-point side.

Materials

Steps

  1. Attach thread Attach the thread at 80% of the way along the shank with a few turns and trim the tag end.
  2. Tie in: bead chain eyes Tie the bead chain eyes on top of the shank with figure-of-eight turns. On top, with figure-of-eight turns.
  3. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to the start of the bend in touching turns.
  4. Tie in: clear v-rib or d-rib Tie in the clear v-rib or d-rib with a few firm thread turns.
  5. Tie in: pearl krystal flash or flat pearl tinsel Tie in the pearl krystal flash or flat pearl tinsel with a few firm thread turns.
  6. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 78% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
  7. Wind: pearl krystal flash or flat pearl tinsel Wind the pearl krystal flash or flat pearl tinsel forward to 78% of the way along the shank in 14 turns. A slight taper; figure-of-eight it round the eyes.
  8. Tie off: pearl krystal flash or flat pearl tinsel Tie off the pearl krystal flash or flat pearl tinsel with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
  9. Wind: clear v-rib or d-rib Wind the clear v-rib or d-rib forward to 78% of the way along the shank in 14 turns. Touching turns over the flash, for a segmented, translucent body.
  10. Tie off: clear v-rib or d-rib Tie off the clear v-rib or d-rib with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
  11. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 90% of the way along the shank in touching turns. In front of the eyes; turn the hook over.
  12. Tie in: krystal flash Tie in the krystal flash under the shank as a beard, reaching 2.7× the gape back. Two strands folded over: four ends.
  13. Tie in: white calf tail Tie in a bunch of white calf tail under the shank as a beard, reaching 2.6× the gape back. An unstacked clump of calf tail.
  14. Trim: white calf tail Trim the butts of the white calf tail flush.
  15. Whip finish Form a small head, whip finish with 5 turns and cut the thread. A small head between the wing and the eye, coated.

History

Usually credited to Bob Nauheim, who tied the first ones in 1977 on a trip with the Andros guide Charlie Smith and gave them bead-chain eyes to suggest glass minnows. Smith is said to have called it "nasty", so they were first Nasty Charlies; when Leigh Perkins of Orvis put it in the Orvis catalogue he disliked the name, and it was changed with Smith's permission. Other accounts, among them that of Smith's son Prescott, say Charlie Smith made the first ones himself, with beads from military tags and a chicken-feather body. It was the first bonefish fly with bead-chain eyes, whose weight turns it point up.

Fishing it

Cast a rod length or two ahead of a bonefish and let the fly sink to the bottom. When the fish comes close, give it one or two short strips, so it moves away like a small fish or a shrimp escaping. Riding point up, it seldom catches the bottom. Choose bead chain, or heavier dumbbell eyes, for the depth.

Sources