Dorsy's Kwan Fly - Fly Fishing in Salt Waters

Creating the perfect bonefish fly isn't easy. Accordingly, fly tiers who attempt to imitate the vast array of tropical flats forage can end up with a list of patterns that's more numerous and short-lived than last year's network sitcoms. Still, every now and then a killing fly emerges; a few like Del's Merkin and Borski's Shrimp continue to survive in an arena where single-digit strikes can translate into home runs. When Miamian Patrick Dorsy decided to tie a better flats fly, he turned to proven antecedents. The result, his highly touted Kwan Fly, has been raising angler's scores ever since. Big flies catch bigger bonefish, or so Dorsy believes. In order for his fly to be special, he wanted to imitate the mottled, three-inch long blennies and gobies that lived in the Florida Keys flats grasses. If it looked a bit like a shrimp or crab, that wouldn't hurt either so after combining a long, elevated Craft fur wing with lead eyes, he added a Merkin-style crab body and orange egg sac in order to produce the ultimate multi-imitator. Patrick, who's an attorney by trade, gave away several of his creations and waited. It didn't take long for the jury to return. The testimonials were encouraging. Veteran bonefisherman Carlos Solis recognized the fly's potential and after acquiring sample, proved its effectiveness on Florida bonefish. Soon, other experts like Mitch Howell were catching fish on Kwan flies and the word spread. Although the kwan imitates forage normally found on Florida flats, it works just as well elsewhere. Raz Reed in particular, has used the Kwan to capture several Belize permit. Nowadays the Kwan, which gets its name from the popular movie Jerry Maguire, has become a secret weapon of bonefish anglers around the globe. Whenever anglers introduce the Kwan to different types of shallow water habitat, the hit list grows. Flats predators share a common interest in certain types of prey so it's not surprising that in addition to its ability to attract permit and larger-than-average bonefish, the Kwan has proven effective for other species of shallow water gamefish. Redfish as well as tarpon succumb to the fly's appeal. So do mutton snapper. Recently, Dorsy cast to and single-handedly released a silver king of over a hundred pounds on a number-one Kwan. That's quite a show of angler confidence. In Jerry Maguire, the expression kwan summarizes actor Cuba Gooding Jr's ideas about love and respect. You might call it admiration. To Patrick, the term epitomizes his personal regard for bonefish tiers like Tim Borski and Del Brown, whose influence is evident in the Kwan's design, as well as for the fighting spirit of the bonefish themselves. Anyone interested in tying the Kwan Fly can read these easy-to-follow instructions. If you're not a fly tier, the Kwan is available in several colors and sizes from Umpqua Feather Merchants.