The Gotcha is another popular bonefish fly that can be adapted to target shad very easily. It resembles a small shrimp or minnow and it is just as good at enticing a shad to strike as it is at enticing a bonefish. The original fly calls for a braided flash material, which I rarely have on hand. Instead, I simply use Flashabou in a color that matches the wing to build the body. With a little head cement, I find the body generally lasts longer than the wing, so is plenty strong to catch dozens of fish. The addition of an hourglass eye gets the fly down to the bottom quick. However, you may want to tie some with bead chain eyes if fishing skinny water. My favorite colors are pink, orange, and white.
The Shad Gotcha Fly Pattern:
Hook: Size 6
Thread: 6/0 Uni-Thread
Eyes: 5/32 Hourglass Eye
Tail: Pearlescent Mylar Tubing
Body: Flashabou (Color that matches the Wing)
Wing: Kip Tail
Note: This year I am going to try a gold mylar tubing for the tail with an orange wing and see what kind of results I get. I have great success with orange, and have always read that shad love gold, so hopefully the results are solid!
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