Charlie Smith

Portrait of Charlie Smith
Portrait of Charlie Smith by Duke Wells

Fishing Guide, Inventor of the ‘Crazy Charlie’ Fly

Born on Grand Cay, Abaco, in 1936, Charlie Smith got an early start as a fishing guide when his father took him fishing with Ernest Hemingway.

As a young boy Charlie was guiding grown men on the saltwater flats of Abaco, fishing for bonefish, barracuda, permit and tarpon.

A pioneer of fly-fishing in The Bahamas, Charlie invented the famous “Crazy Charlie” bonefish fly, which revolutionised the sport of saltwater fly-fishing. His fly made millions for the fishing industry but Charlie never received any compensation.