The Classic Tan Gotcha Pattern
Tie up or purchase a bundle of these patterns in various colors and sizes. Size 4 and 6 are your best bet. Colors will ultimately depend on your location, but I would suggest cream, pink, tan, and olive for starters. Lefty Kreh has this to say about the Gotcha "An absolute must for anyone who fishes light-colored flats, such as in the Bahamas.....I go nowhere for bonefish without this fly 1" This fly was originated by Jim McVay and it is widely considered one of the best bonefish flies ever invented!
Slight variations of the same fly will almost always improve your success on the flats!
see below
The Barred Tan Gotcha
Tying a tan Gotcha and then adding stripes is an effective way of enhancing your fly box with more patterns while not having to learn to tie new patterns. Simply purchase a high quality add marker. This pattern was marked up using a Berol Prismacolor PM-88 Dark Brown ad marker, (a dark brown Sharpie works just as well). Tim Borski patterns are notorious for this technique! I have received great reviews on this pattern from guides and anglers fishing Cuba, Mexico, and the Bahamas.
"Our guide(Cuba)took one look in my fly box and he immediately plucked out one of your barred tan Gotchas out .. he looked it over with great interest, tied it on my leader and that was it! We fished nothing but this pattern all week. I caught 29 bones!"
LORD of THE FLIES
Here's a nice selection that was ordered by a repeat customer. Upon his guides recommendation he padded his fly box with 18 more of "dem tan striped ones mon". The one in the middle (Lord of the Flies)is made with Estaz and custom dyed arctic fox. Good arctic fox is tough to come by, I was so frustrated with the quality and color selection found in fly shops that I bought an entire pelt and custom dyed my own patches. With a little experimentation I can now come up with pretty much any color I need.
Deep Pink Gotcha Size 4 With Dumbell Eyes
Adding some dumbell eyes will increase the rate of descent, which is critical when fish are prowling in deeper water. You will need to be equipped with both beadchain and dumbell eye patterns if you want to be successful in all depth situations. A word of caution... the more weight the bigger the splash down. In deep water sight fishing situations make sure your casting well ahead of the fish.
Size 2 Andros Island Gotcha
This fly is both large and heavy! Tied with large dumbell eyes and on a uncharacteristically large hook (size 2) for bonefish.