How to Tie a Crazy Charlie Fly

The Crazy Charlie is a classic Bonefish pattern that was developed on Andros Island in 1977 by Charlie Smith, a local Bahamian Bonefish guide. Since its inception, the Crazy Charlie has become one of the most popular Bonefish flies in the world. Jared takes us through the steps needed to tie this classic fly in our latest YouTube Fly Tying Tutorial.

Tips for tying a Crazy Charlie Fly Pattern including a materials list, instructional video, and much more. Improve your fly tying skills here.

Materials:

Hook: Tiemco 811S Standard Saltwater Hook, Size: 8

Eyes: Hareline Bead Chain Eyes, Size: Medium

Wing: Hareline Calf Tail, Color: Pink

Body: Hareline D Rib, Color: Clear

Underbody: Hareline Krystal Flash, Color: Pink

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Step One:

Start your thread and tie in the lead eyes about a bead's length from the eye of the hook. Tie these eyes in with a figure 8 pattern and make sure they're positioned properly on top of the hook. Bring the thread back to the bend of the hook.

Step Two:

Tie in the Krystal Flash and D Rib. Grab three or four strands of the Krystal Flash and tie them in right behind the bead chain eyes. Then tie in the D Rib with the flat side down, again, right behind the bead chain eyes. Bring your thread forward right behind the eyes.

Step Three:

Wrap the Krystal Flash forward to create the body. Build a slight taper when wrapping the Krystal Flash. After wrapping the Krystal Flash, tie it off and move your thread above the bead chain eyes.

Step Four:

Wrap the D Rib forward. Keep the wraps tight to create an even body. After wrapping the D Rib up to the bead chain eyes, wrap the D Rib in a figure 8 pattern around the eyes then tie it off in front of the eyes.

Step Five:

Tie in the Calf Tail. Measure the Calf Tail so it extends just past the hook bend. Trim off excess material. Tie in the Calf Tail on the underside of the hook with one loose wrap to catch the materials before tightly wrapping the Calf Tail the rest of the way.

Step Six:

Tie in more Krystal Flash to add dimension to the Calf Tail. Choose 3-4 strands of Flash and double them over the thread. Tie in the Flash right behind the bead chain eyes then trim them slightly longer than the length of the Calf Tail.

Step Seven:

Throw a whip finish and add some head cement to the head of the fly for added durability.

And that's the Crazy Charlie. This is a simple pattern to tie and is hugely effective when fished for Bonefish and even Stripers here on the Maine Coast. Follow our YouTube channel for more fly tying tutorials and be sure to check back for more step-by-step fly tying instructions.

Questions?

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