Overview

Umpqua's Bahamas Master Fly Assortment is its most extensive selection for Bahamian bonefish, aimed at the big, picky fish that make those flats famous. Umpqua lists it as a 36-fly set packed in its slit-foam UPG Flats box.

Bahamas bonefish feed on shrimp, crabs and small baitfish across sand, grass and mixed bottoms, and big fish get selective. This box gives you shrimp patterns in several sizes and weights, a range of crabs for bigger bones and permit, and a Clouser for cruising fish and other species, so you are covered from skinny water to deeper edges.

How to Fish It

• Lead the fish: cast a few feet ahead of a cruising bonefish and let the fly sink to the bottom before the fish arrives.
• Short strips: retrieve with short, slow strips that puff sand, like a shrimp or crab trying to escape.
• Strip set: when the fish tips down on the fly or the line comes tight, set with a firm pull on the line, not by lifting the rod.
• Crabs for permit: for permit, drop a crab pattern in front of the fish and let it sink; strip only enough to stay in touch.

Choosing Color and Size

The box includes Gotcha Pearl (4), Squimp Tan (4), Mantis Shrimp Tan (4), Spawning Shrimp White (3), Spawning Shrimp Tan (3), two each of Christmas Island Special Orange, Crazy Charlie Pink, Crazy Charlie Tan, Sili Legs Tan, Alphlexo Crab Tan, Avalon Permit Fly Hvywt Tan, Bonefish Slider Brown and Clouser Minnow Chartreuse/White, and one each of Flats Crab Tan, Flats Crab WDLS Mottled Lt Olive and Strong Arm Merkin Tan. Umpqua notes contents may vary with availability.

Use the lighter shrimp in very shallow water and the crabs and heavier flies on deeper flats or in wind.