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View Full Version : Dry flies for bluegill?



colton
03-14-2012, 10:44 PM
I am new to flyfishing, and lately I have had the urge to fish for bluegill. I have done some research, and have come up with many different results, some of which conflict with each other. I would like to know what dry flies you guys prefer to use for bluegill. The difficulty of tying the fly is not a huge factor as I have been tying longer than I have been flyfishing Thank you!

51BC
03-15-2012, 08:04 AM
I find 'gills like things with rubber legs on them. I tye a version of a Humpy in size 12 with black, white or yellow (seem to be good bluegill colours) legs and have good success. A 12 or 14 pheasant tail trailing behind picks up quite a few fish as well.

Trucha
03-15-2012, 09:58 AM
I like to toss flies to bluegills. I prefer to cast a small poppers and have them hit it on top. But, nymphs and wooley buggers work well, too.

Trucha
03-15-2012, 10:02 AM
Here is my daughter with a bluegill taken on a popper on a farm pond in MO.

gusstrand
03-15-2012, 10:42 AM
Basically any dry will work for panfish... I like humpies and wulffs. If they don't go for those, little wooly buggers with a chartreuse element (I usually do chartreuse marabou, a green/black chenille and grizzly palmered hackle nd sometimes with red thread so I get a red head...) are my next batter, and then if those don't work I go to a prince or zugbug.

Honestly, with those four or five flies, you'd be golden.

I LOVE fly fishing for panfish, which is good since having moved to TX...

My boys on our "secret creek":

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/a1/Optio015Medium.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/a1/Optio017Medium.jpg

gusstrand
03-15-2012, 10:43 AM
Hey Colton, where in Idaho? We lived in Sandpoint for about four years...

colton
04-09-2012, 10:10 PM
Thanks for all of your help! Gusstrand, I live in the Magic Valley area.

Lotech Joe
09-29-2012, 09:56 AM
I've had good luck catching bluegills on the surface with what's called a "Hank 'O' Hair." I tied mine on a size 10-12 dry fly hook. First I bend the shank down at about a 30° angle midway between the hook eye and the point. There is no dubbing or tail on the fly. Just an Elk Hair Caddis type wing on a bare hook. Here's the caveat. They were the smallest bluegills I've ever seen. BUT, there has to be bigger ones in the water, or there wouldn't be little ones. Here is a link to the pattern. However, I bend my hooks right behind where the wing is tied in.

http://www.azflycasters.org/Archives/Fly%20Recipes/Hank%20of%20Hair.pdf

Alpinefly
09-29-2012, 03:40 PM
I agree with Gus. Basically, any Dry Fly will work. Terrestrials are always great (especially Hoppers with Deer Hair spun bodies). My friend Rick Takahashi (and Jerry Hubka) will be coming out with a book on Terrestrials, which will have many great recipes. Poppers are always great, and Attractor patterns such as Renegades. I also like sub surface, such as my Back Sabbath Black Bead Emerger (used on all Freshwater species). David Whitlock is a big lover of fishing for Gills, and has created many patterns geared for such.

LilD
12-25-2012, 12:41 AM
I know this is an old thread and Im also a beginner as well but thought Id share what I found. I tried all the flies I had and the they seemed to like the poppers. I didnt get a single hit on anything else.

51BC
12-28-2012, 07:58 AM
One should never argue with success!!