IN THE BEGINNING - THERE WERE BLUEGILLS - Whip Finish - Aug 13, 2012

[rtidd]

IN THE BEGINNING - THERE WERE BLUEGILLS


Few fish are as iconic to such a vast group of fishermen as the simple Bluegill. Young and old alike can relate to a common bond, which at one point in their life, created a feeling of excitement that fishing creates course through their veins. And most often than not the first source of that excitement was in pursuit of a Bluegill. They are the beginner's fish, as well as the veteran's fish. They are the quarry of bait fishermen as well as fly fishermen. They can be caught most any time of the day, with any type of gear, and seldom ever leave us wanting. They are all of these things, rolled up into a palm-sized fish with a blue-tipped gill plate that brings far more smiles than any other.

[RHenn]

Great read! Love fishing for bluegills and they have saved many a trip for me. Thanks for a great article!

[Rick Z]

Nice article about one of my favorite fish.

Rick

[NewTyer 1]

The Blue Gill was my first fish as a kid. I still remember my dad taking me and of course me taking my kids and now my grand kids but, I have never really had a fasination with them as a food fish or to really target them. Where I lived, they were basically a trash fish.

[EdD]

That was one of those articles that leaves you feeling better after reading it. Thanks.
Ed

[JohnScott]

Very good story telling of a very good story. Nicely done, Ralph.

John

[Linecaster]

That was a very engaging read, thank you.
I had to come over here from Africa to catch my first Blue Gill at 63 yrs young and marvelled at the fight it gave. I almost exclusively fish for them with my 2 weight.

[Fishingfiend]

Where I am from, Indiana, we called all panfish bluegills. It was the generic term for all of those wonderfully tasty and hard fighting little fish. now I know that there are "Pumpkinseeds" "Redbreast" "Long Eared Bluegill" "Green Sunfish" "Goggle Eye (Also called Rockbass)" And a host of others, all known by local names. But I am still hooked on catching those fish that are almost too big to grip ... Fighters, all the way to the frying pan.

[Gandolf]

Nice article, and it seems to put into words things I have thought, and many others as well I suspect.

It has been incredibly hot and dry here, and I haven't had a good year fishing this summer nor did I get to go very many times, but hope to go some this fall. If I go it will mostly be for bluegills at a lake about an hour from here.\

I still have some tiny midges that I hope to try.

Regards,

Gandolf

[Prairieschooner]

A fine read; thanks! Growing up in west Kansas we called all such fish "sunfish", distinguishing them from bullheads, our other game fish staple. It's interesting to note that I read about catching "bream" and "horned pout" for a long time before learning that they are actually the bluegills and bullheads of my youth.