Cahill’s Sugar Foot Photo by Louis Cahill

I spend as much time as possible watching bonefish chase flies.

If you do it long enough you’re bound to learn something. In the average presentation you want to lead and cross a fish. Therefore, when the bonefish first sees your fly, he sees its profile. If he likes what he sees, he generally follows the fly for a while before he decides whether or not to eat it.

I wanted to create a fly that gave the bonefish an incentive to eat. I wanted a fly the would change its appearance as the fish pulled in behind it to follow. I wanted to give the fish a visual trigger to eat. The result of that effort (and a fair amount of rum) was the Sugar Foot.

This fly has a light flashy shrimp profile and great action. The body of the fly conceals a bright orange egg sack that becomes visible as the fish comes around from behind. Does it work? So well that I call it by the same name I call my wife.

Watch the video and learn to tie the Sugar Foot.