The Nubian Spaghetti.

In December 2020 we spent two weeks in Sudan, with a multi european group of anglers from Germany, Poland, France, Denmark, Italy, Croatia and Norway. Fishing the famous Nubian Flats and the surrounding areas. 

One day on the big ocean flat Shambaya, we came across several schools of tailing milkfish. And of course, milkies being milkies, they refused everything in our fly boxes. Despite obviously feeding hard, searching through patches of turtlegrass and seaweed, stirring up both the surface and bottom. Paying zero attention to our offerings.  Needless to say, an extremely frustrating situation! 

After harassing the milkfish schools for a while, throwing shit they didn't approve of, they left the flat. And also left me with a lot more questions than answers on what kind of fly to make for the following day.

In the evening we sat around the tying table, discussing back and forth on what to make to trick the ungrateful bastards of the flat. We had some ideas about small shrimp, weedflies and such, but also worms. So I decided to try and make something that looked like a worm hiding in the algae. Basically just a hook with dumbbells, a piece of ultra chenille, and some rabbits fur. 

Gotta be honest, the fly didn't look like front-page material in any kind of way. And Johannes Schnatz at Finsoutflies, who is a whole lot more refined flytier than myself, said it looked like a turd with a bit of fur in it. Not an overstatement. But this of course made my urge to catch something on it even greater.

The following morning Nicola, Robert and I went back to the flats of Shambaya. In search of the Milkies. They were present, but not in as great numbers as the day before. We got some shots, at smaller schools tailing throught the algae on the bottom. 

Then, one fish was clearly following the Spaghetti!

I was almost shitting myself with exitement! Is it gonna happen?? But no. Then on the next shot, one of the fish went for the fly two times, solid pulls! But it didn't get hooked. After this they all left the flat, and us behind, crying over once again being defeated by a group of over-sized herring. 

However, there's always hope. These flats are also full of both Yellow Margin and Titan Triggerfish, and now it was time to change targets.  At first I thought I'd change fly for something more triggery, like a crab or small shrimp. But didn't really have time since two nice Yellow Margins were tailing close by. I made the cast, the fly landed close enough for both fish to see it sink, and wham! The two of them went for it, the Spaghetti was inhaled immediately! 

Then some cast, some fish lost and eight fish caught later, the Nubian Spaghetti had proven it self.  Not only did it get the attention of bottom feeding Milkfish, but was also a Triggerfish magnet. 

Of course, in the evening we sat down and tied a bunch of new Spaghettis in tan, olive, yellow and pink. Johannes also came up with his version, which is the way we mostly tie it today. Also the easiest way of making it, and it now looks less like a piece of shit. 

The Nubian Spaghetti was pretty much the only fly I used for the rest of the trip, and it was slaying triggers like no other fly before. On the last day we fished an area that holds some super-sized Bonefish. And my Danish buddy Kenneth Dexter made a cast to one of the monster bones with the Spaghetti, and obviously the Red Sea Bonefish also likes Spaghetti. Unfortunately his line got wrapped, and the bone left with the worm fly.

So why do they like it so much? 

My theory is that a worm is something that is very easy to eat, and it poses no threat. Unlike crabs, which are hard, spiny, and are best eaten after being crushed.

Triggers are well known for molesting flies in every possible, and impossible way. They will fuck up your crab, badly. In one bite it's gonna look like it was put through a grinder. They will follow, nibble, follow, nibble, follow, nibble FOREVER at times. Often all you end up with is a stripped, bent hook, with two rubber legs, half a dumbbell, and a broken self esteem. 

When using the Spaghetti, the fish just swim up to it, take a look and slurp it in, like a spaghetti. 

To me this is the perfect eat. Like a trout rising to a dry fly, just picking it off the surface, casually.

 Of course they will still bite off the eyes, bite the hook in two, and do other trigger tricks to the Spaghetti as well. However, when it comes down to getting the fish to put the fly in its mouth, instead of just raping it, the Spaghetti has proven to be superior.

Nubian Spaghetti, hanging from the side of the mouth of this big trophy GT caught by Meredith McCord.

Photo by Tim Leppan

This season, in Sudan "Deep South" the fishability of this ridiculously simple fly was taken to new heights when the guides there had their clients catching both big Bluefin and GT on this "piece of shit». Famous Meredith McCord caught a GT of 94 centimeters on 9weght and Nubian Spaghetti fly while targeting triggers and other smaller species. They also had a few bigger GT tailing in shallow water, trying to inhale this small fly on the bottom. We are now sure that this fly will make a difference in future fishing on flats all over the world.

Photo by Tim Leppan

African Waters guide Tim Leppan with Meredith trophy catch on Nubian Spaghetti.

Text by - Johan Persson Friberg

Photos by - Tim Leppan, Robert Pljuscec, Johannes Schnatz( FINS OUT FLIES )