Bonefish Bitterns Olive Fly

About the Bonefish Bitterns Olive Saltwater Fly

The Bonefish Bitters Olive is a purpose-built bonefish fly for shallow flats, offering a compact, natural profile that closely matches the small shrimps and crabs that bonefish hunt over the sand and turtle grass. The olive bonefish pattern is a brilliant confidence choice when fish are feeding in skinny water but still demand a clean, believable silhouette.

Tied with a bright olive, epoxy-style head and lifelike barred rubber legs, this flats fly blends realism with just enough presence to get noticed. It’s best thought of as a shrimp imitation with crab-like attitude; a crab-style bonefish fly that will also pass convincingly for a fleeing shrimp when you put a little movement into it.

Fishing Tips:

How it works

• Gets down quickly: The weighted head gives it a controlled sink rate, making it a reliable weighted shrimp fly when you need to reach the feeding zone promptly.
• Tracks naturally on the bottom: Designed to sit and move like real prey, keeping it in the zone where bonefish feed.
• Movement without fuss: The barred rubber legs pulse and kick with tiny strips and pauses, adding lifelike animation without overdoing it.
• Olive excels over mixed bottom: The olive tone looks right over turtle grass, darker sand and broken ground—exactly where bonefish expect to find shrimp and small crabs.

How to fish it

• Lead the fish and let the fly settle before you move it.
• Use short strip–pause “scoots” to sell it as a shrimp; most takes happen on the pause.
• Keep it close to the deck—if you’re not occasionally ticking bottom, you’re often too high.
• For wary fish, go subtler (shorter strips, longer pauses). For confident fish, make it dart a touch quicker.
• Strip-strike with the line hand, then lift once you feel solid weight.

Tier of this saltwater fly: Bob Nauheim