BaitfishbeginnerFlorida Keys & South Florida
The Gotcha
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Regional source directory
Salty Fly Tying
Mapped tier profile for this pattern family. Confirm exact tying availability with the tier before relying on stock.
Forgotten Coast Fly Co.
Matched on Florida Keys & South Florida, baitfish flies, bonefish. Florida Panhandle and Gulf Coast shop lead for inshore saltwater patterns.
Big Y Fly Co.
Matched on baitfish flies, saltwater, broad catalog. Broad by-type catalog useful for common benchmark patterns and inexpensive backups.
Fulling Mill Flies
Matched on baitfish flies, bonefish, broad catalog. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.
These are independent businesses. A listing does not imply endorsement or partnership. TWG currently receives no purchase commission from these links. Any future paid or affiliate relationship will be labeled beside the relevant link.
Named for what you say when a bonefish eats it. The Gotcha is the fly that has converted more saltwater skeptics than any marketing campaign ever devised. It lands on the flat like a whispered suggestion and sinks with the confidence of something that knows it is about to be chased. Forty years of service and not a single retirement party.
Meet the Tier
Drew Chicone
Salty Fly Tying
Fort Myers, FL
2023 Fly Tyer of the Year. Two-time IFTD Best in Show. Umpqua Signature Tyer. Three published books. Drew Chicone is the standard by which American saltwater fly tying is measured.
Quick Facts
Where to Fish It
Content Keys
FL · Flats
Islamorada Backcountry
FL · Flats
Key West Flats
FL · Flats
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Related Reading
region guide
Florida Keys: Chasing the Flats Grand Slam
The Florida Keys Grand Slam — bonefish, permit, and tarpon on the fly in a single day — is saltwater fly fishing's ultimate test. It demands mastery of three different species, three different presentations, and an almost unreasonable amount of luck. Here's how to stack the odds in your favor.
species science
The Grey Ghost: Bonefish Biology and Behavior
Bonefish appear as shadows on the flat, eat with the subtlety of a vacuum cleaner, and run like they've been personally offended by your hook. Their biology — from tidal feeding patterns to crushing pharyngeal plates — explains every frustrating refusal and every screaming run.
species science
The Holy Grail: Why Permit Are the Ultimate Challenge
Permit are the most selective, most maddening, and most rewarding fish in saltwater fly fishing. They eat crabs, they refuse crabs, and the difference between those two outcomes is a mystery that has consumed anglers for decades. Here's what science and experience have taught us.
hatch guide
Saltwater Forage: Matching the Bait
In saltwater fly fishing, there are no hatches — there is forage. Mullet, shrimp, crabs, baitfish, and worms drive every feeding event on the flats, in the surf, and along the mangrove edges. Understanding the forage base and matching it precisely is the difference between a fish of a lifetime and an empty line.
technique
Fly Selection: A Decision Tree for Every Situation
Most anglers open their fly box and stare at it like a menu in a foreign language. But fly selection isn't mystical — it's a decision tree. Start with what the fish are eating, narrow by presentation depth, match the profile and size, and you'll arrive at the right fly in under sixty seconds. Here's the system.
technique
Solunar Tables: Science, Myth, and Practical Use
Solunar theory claims that the gravitational pull of the moon and sun creates predictable periods of peak animal activity. Saltwater anglers swear by it. Freshwater anglers roll their eyes. The truth, as usual, lives somewhere in between — and the practical implications might surprise you.
technique
Casting in the Wind: A Saltwater Caster's Guide
Wind is the defining challenge of saltwater fly fishing. It blows every day on the flats, and it doesn't care about your presentation. The anglers who catch fish consistently aren't the ones who wait for calm — they're the ones who've learned to cast through, under, and around the wind with techniques that turn the breeze from enemy to ally.
technique
Catch and Release: The Science of Fish Survival
We release fish and feel good about it. But does the fish survive? The science is both encouraging and sobering. Catch-and-release mortality varies from nearly zero to over forty percent depending on species, water temperature, fight duration, handling, and a handful of other factors entirely within the angler's control. Here's what the research says and how to maximize survival.
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