easy gill patterns I can use to help teach with

Teaching my son in 2nd grade and very artistic daughter in K to tie. We have worked wolly buggers and they have done ok.

How about some of your favorite bluegill patterns that are also very easy for young hands to handle

This one works good for me.

Tim

any trout pattern that is easy to tie will work for bluegills.

Incredibly effective fly for 'gills (and trout too!):

Hook: Any wet fly hook, size 10-18
Weight: Gold bead appropriate to hook size
Thread: Black or olive
Tail: any black feather fibers or calftail
Body: Several peacock herls

Put on the bead, attach the thread, tie in the tail, tie in the herl, wrap the hearl to cover the shank, tie off.

Buddy

The James Woods Bucktail is very easy to tie and to cast. This is known as a Smallmouth fly, but tied with medium or fine chenille on a Gill-sized hook it is very effective. I find that using a feather (rooster hackle?) for the collar is easier than bucktail. I've tied in the traditional blue/yellow and in chartreuse/yellow, root beer/yellow, root beer/olive, and white/gray. Have fun!

Go to this site and scroll down to March 2006. Excellent video.

http://www.flyfishohio.com/Adventures_in_Fly_Tying.htm

Gurgle pops (see faol archives ) are a fairly easy topwater fly. If they have trouble getting the craft foam lashed down tightly you can always go through and put a drop of superglue on them when they finish tying. I like a soft hackle with yellow floss and a couple of turns of grizzly hen or grey partridge for an easy tying/casting subsurface bluegill fly. Be sure to get some casting bubbles so they can catch fish on their own flies even if they get tired casting a fly line.

Check out Al Campbells begining tying

Great guys,
thanks for the help. I think the kids will like those. I want to keep it quick and easy but also buggy looking and fun.

I am not at all sure what happend to the day today. I was going to clear the junk off my tying bench and put things back in order. I figured the kids would drift in to see what is going on, but the early football game caught my attention and I woke up mid way through the second game;)

My wife accuses me of being half bear. As soon as it snows and the temps fall into the single digits I fall asleep.

Foam beetles. They're easy, fast, don't involve very many ingredients, and bluegills love them

Hi Briney Dave,

I Like a pattern similar to Bluegill 222 and rainbowchaser, the foam bluegill spider.

Another pattern that is VERY easy to tie is Rick Z's Boa Yarn Leach. Good pattern. In fact, they are on my list of flies to tie this winter.

It was either one of "Ricks Favorite Bluegill Flies", in the archive of Panfish articles, or it is in the archive of "Flies of the week".

Regards,

Gandolf