The Crazy Charlie is one of the all-time classic bonefish flies and it is an excellent general purpose fly for a variety of flats fishing situations.

This imitation shrimp pattern was originated by Bob Nauheim, the owner of a California fishing travel company. The original Charlie pattern has been imitated and adapted more than almost any other single salt water fly pattern, to the extent where Crazy Charlies encompass an entire family of bonefish patterns. However, after all the adaptations in color, size and material, the Charlie is an extremely effective imitator of just about every shrimp—or the smaller crab—that exist in the oceans and freshwater.