Cuda-holic

by Ken Collins - February 23, 2026

 Fish with teeth have always haunted me. Is it fear? Excitement? Or a hunter’s instincts? Or the adrenaline of going toe to fin with a top predator? I do not know fish with teeth are something I am uncontrollably attracted to. 

Fishy predators just…  all out - behave differently than other fish. They often lie in wait and in an instant, a resting fish has attacked. In the right waters, this can be incredible, knee knocking excitement for a fly flinging angler.

 My first experience with a barracuda happened before I even thought about targeting them. A good day on the flats change me forever when bringing in a nice bonefish. A laser quick flash of silver and a sudden yank on the rod had me winding weight back to the boat. In my surprise it was half a bonefish. That was my first experience with the quick and toothy customer from the flats.

 I had to figure out how to see one of these amazing fish up close, preferably with a fly hanging out of its mouth!

After a bunch of failures targeting sited cuda with fly gear, a spinning rod that could cast a mile with a weighted green surgical tube and a treble hook and skim it along the surface at racing speed got me hooked up. This helped me understand that bold and fast was the way to go for these aggressive fish.

This speed of retrieval was the first hurdle I thought necessary to trick these speed demons to my fly. Rod under arm and two-hand retrieve was practised and perfected than implemented with only a few positive results. A few was better than none. On the frustrating days of no interest, I often convinced the guide to let me troll a fly between flats to get my toothy fix fulfilled. 

 Once I started hooking into a few of these fish, I discovered the barracuda fish fight is a highlight of the flyfishing world. Not only does the initial cuda-strike try to wrench your rod from your grip but it's the ability of this fish to leap out of the water. Not like a cartwheeling steelhead, or the flip and flop of a busting smallie and not even like the high-flying head thrashing jump of a tarpon. No, the Cuda leaps out of the water like a deflected missile - only to re-enter the water some 20 to 30 feet away from where it left the water. The best part is the cuda and the drag of the reel actually goes faster when the fish is out of the water. You really need to experience this! Once you do, you will be addicted to the adrenaline rush of barracuda fly fishing!

Reading was my next hope, somebody else must have realized this fish's potential and honed in on an easy way to trick these brutes to the fly. Flies were often discussed as a key. Needle fish patterns and noisy poppers were added to my arsenal. Again some days,  the stars aligned and I had success and on other days the CUDA would take up residency in another ocean rather than look at a fly presentation. However, the key to any good angler is observation. I watched on two occasions terns dive and strike the water for a meal but disappear in a fury of frothing foam. On one occasion, I got to see the long shape of a fish swim away with a slightly larger than normal white head.  Yes, the barracuda was fast enough to intercept this skilled hunter of the sky. Hence, the introduction of the large white fly. 

 This was an easy process because Steve my gifted fly tying genius friend, was already designing Musky flies ie. uncle buck, quarter chicken, half chicken and rib and chicken combo. Uncle Buck in white, it was because this fly was the easiest to cast and long casts were doable. Again, success was limited,  so let's try 80lb Fluorocarbon instead of wire. We know fluorocarbon bite guards produced more musky strikes. Wrong again, we never got to make a wire to fluoro conclusion because even 100lb fluoro severed instantly as a cuda sheared an attack on the fly. Back to wire - no questions here! A few more salt-trips and the white fly continued to produce strikes, spurred numerous new prototypes and white-fly transformed into the infamous Baby Bone Cuda Fly.

This successful fly pattern was designed purely for one of my favourite targeting cuda fishing techniques. It starts with the best of the salt experiences - a walk on the beach looking for feeding bonefish. Wading in warm water without the restrictions of waders on sandy flats has a soft spot in my angling heart. The importance of hi tides creating more fishable waters was an easy discovery. The finding of the water giving and taking corridors to these flats was a bit more hidden. But, finding these channels was key to the next step of Cuda fly fishing success. 

On more than a few occasions, it was noticed that hi tide cuda and outgoing (ebb) tide cuda feeding habits/locations were different. During the peak of the tide, when flats are at their deepest, cuda would lie in wait just off the edge of a jut of land. Or blending into a deeper side of a shallow sand bar that interrupts the route of feeding bones. It's like Cuda know -  bonefish cruise the perimeter of where they can swim and when they reach these obstructions, they're swimming blindly. That “oops moment” is all it takes for a cuda to put on the afterburners and nail themselves a confused meal. Even before you notice the tide changed,  these water wolves of the flats will relocate to the outgoing channels. Here they again wait in complete utter stillness for the hordes of outgoing fish, now believing safety in numbers is their remedy for not becoming a meal. 

So...  easy to understand why the “Baby Bone Fly” works so well, but that's only half the technique. The other half is how to make one fly rod in hand do both excitements. The walkabout is generally for bonefish and therefore the rod is rigged for bonefish. You know,  probably a 7, 8 or 9 wt rod along with a 9ft 10 lb or so leader and a shrimpy-like fly imitation. On standby is the “Baby Bone Fly” in my shirt pocket, poked into a piece of foam with a wire bite guard already attached. There is a small loop at the other end of the wire for a quick loop-to-loop connection. When a Cuda is noticed; the bonefish fly is removed from leader and a large improved surgeons (6" to 12" just do it quick) loop is made instead. The big loop end is forced through small wire loop and pulled far enough to pass over the hook bend. A quick pull on the fly and the loop-to-loop cuda rig is ready to go. With this technique, Cuda encounters result in hook-ups with only one rod in hand. Some, including me,  have tried to carry two rods. One for each game,  but unless you have an ambitious guide carrying one outfit and allowing you the freedom to make your best casts with the other - your experience will be short-lived!  Besides, who in their right mind would wade, carry two fly rods, attempt fly casts, and possibly land fish all while enduring the full effects of the heated fury of the midday sun? I'd rather have the other hand free to grab my water bottle from my fanny pack for a cool, refreshing sip. 

Twenty-plus years of Barracuda fly fishing have brought me to these very successful presentation conclusions:

 The number ONE was the discovery of where to cast. Cast directly at or close to a cuda is a an anglers first mistake. It is imperative and a guarantee where I will cast for a resting cuda. I will cast 20 maybe 30 feet away from the fish in the direction where he is pointing. You only see the grey cloud of silt where the fish was and at the same moment, the rod being yanked from your fingers. 

The number TWO was the invention of the Baby Bone Fly. This easy-to-cast very durable fly is good for numerous cuda engagements. Add this to the Troutfiiter toothy fish leader system for assured success.   

The number THREE was the safety gear required to handle these toothy menaces. A jaw holding device that rotates and won't let go when engaged. The original Boga Grip and some lookalikes is undoubtedly the best tool for the job. Going anywhere near the mouth of this fish bare handed is a mistake I doubt you will make twice. A full-fledged kevlar filet glove is key for this job. Add a pair of long nosed needle pliers and hook removal is fairly safe. When taking pics of this fish do yourself a favour and get photos while fighting, landing, hook removal attempts and if a grip n grin photo chance still exists make sure to hold fish with mouth as far from your body as possible. My choice is two filet gloves the mesh of these gloves gives much better traction. 

Hope my excitement for these fish spurs you to give one a try. Send me a pic. Be safe!