Christmas Island Special - The Iconic Saltwater Flats Bonefish Fly - Full Length Fly Tying Tutorial

The Christmas Island Special is an iconic bonefish fly pattern for flats fly fishing. Randall Kaufmann created this pattern on a trip to Christmas Island in 1981. It is sparsely dressed so that it sinks quickly, and can represent a multitude of prey items available to bonefish. This fly has proven itself on almost every bonefish flat in the world, and has caught nearly every species that roam the flats. While it is meant to represent a shrimp, it could also be a small baitfish, or even a small crab. I have personally caught a ton of Bonefish on this same pattern, but tied in a chartreuse color scheme, in Ascension Bay, MX. This Christmas Island Special is tied just a bit differently than the original version. Normally this pattern uses krystal flash for the tail and underwing. And then the wing itself is often Craft Fur, Calf Tail, or EP Fibers, all relatively stiff, lifeless materials. The body is often diamond braid, and sometimes has V-Rib over the top to increase durability. The version I tie here, in my opinion, adds more life to the fly and makes it more durable. We swap out Krystal flash for Mini Flat Braid (that I unbraid), which has more movement than Krystal Flash. The wing is Arctic fox, which really adds life to the fly, along with some Micro Rubber legs which are not normally included on the Christmas Island Special. For durability, we get rid of the diamond braid body, that has little micro ridges for teeth to catch on and shred, and replace it with a flat, holographic tinsel coated twice with UV resin, making it smooth and hard to reduce shredding. Lastly, we add some light barring to the wing for some realism, and then we add a weed guard, mostly just to show how that can be done to any smaller saltwater pattern. This is a fly that not only separates itself from the commercial versions that most other flat anglers are presenting to the fish, but also a fly you can have confidence in. If you are heading to Christmas Island, or any other warm saltwater destination where flats and bonefish are present, I would highly recommend tying some of these up, in varying weights and colors for your trip! All of the materials available for this pattern are available ‪@redsflyshop‬! Christmas Island Special Recipe: Hook: ‪@UmpquaFeatherMerchants‬ TMC 811S sz. 4 - 8 (I am using a 6 here) Thread: UTC Fl. Fire Orange, 140D Eyes: ‪@harelinedubbin‬ Bead Chain Eyes, Gold, Medium Tail: Veevus Mini Flat Braid, Fl. Orange Body: Veevus Holographic Tinsel, Orange, Medium Legs: ‪@harelinedubbin‬ Chicone's Barred Micro Crusher LEgs, Fl. Orange, Clear Underwing: Veevus Mini Flat Braid, Peachy Pearl Overwing: ‪@naturesspiritflytying3390‬ Arctic Fox Shadow Fox Zonker, Tan Weed Guard: 20Lb Hard Monofilament Other Tools Used: ‪@LoonOutdoors‬ UV Nano Light ‪@naturesspiritflytying3390‬ Solarez Bone Dry Orange Fine Tip Waterproof Marker