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Thread: Bluegill fly?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Youngwood, PA, USA
    Posts
    37

    Default Bluegill fly?

    Since I'm just reentering the FF sport, I'm wondering what flies you folks use for Bluegill? My Dad likes to fish the lakes and since he's my number one fishing buddy, I've found a few places where he can sit at the lake and I can fish down a stream to him, but when I get there, I'd like to practice my casting for some BG. Do you use the same flies as you do for trout? And can anyone give me a recipe for tying one?

    Thanks,
    Brad

    [This message has been edited by Weasel (edited 28 April 2005).]

  2. #2

    Default

    Brad,

    Just about any nymph that you would use for trout will work for bluegills. PTs, Hare's Ears, Copper Johns, anything seems to work if it's fished at the correct speed and depth.

    Same goes for surface flies. Traditional dries will take lots of surface feeding 'gills.

    You can, if you choose to, specialize and find patterns, or devise your own, that are specific to the bluegills in your area. Sometimes a 'hybrid' fly, with colors not normal to the trout stream may be more effective.

    Still, you really can't go wrong with a high floating dry fly with a hare's ear or pheasant tail nymph on a dropper behind it.

    Good Luck!

    Buddy

    ------------------
    [url=HTTP://HOMETOWN.AOL.COM/RSAN2708/INDEX.HTML:616eb]HTTP://HOMETOWN.AOL.COM/RSAN2708/INDEX.HTML[/url:616eb]
    It Just Doesn't Matter....

  3. #3
    Guest

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    what buddy says is true.

    I regularly rail the gills on drowned trout dryflies. they seem particularily fond of royal wulffs. or alything else with white in them. it's a blast to sight fish for them w/ light lines. most anything'll do, though you'll have to work a little harder to get the larger ones. small hopper patterns are also excellent. bass seem to like them too.

    mgj

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Canton, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    4,709

    Default

    Brad,
    The guys are right...one other suggestion I may give. Bill Skilton has an excellent book, "My Fly Patterns, Materials, and Techniques". Lots of foam stuff. Simple ties & well described. If you have trouble finding it, email me.
    BTW...Where's Youngwood, Pa?..if it's in western Pa, please let me know!
    Mike

    [This message has been edited by ohiotuber (edited 28 April 2005).]
    FAOL..All about caring, sharing, & good friends!!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Vineland, NJ, United States
    Posts
    2

    Default

    Try a black foam beetle

  6. #6
    Guest

    Default

    Weasel, I have used several fly patterns but two that I always return to are the Adams dry fly and a wooly worm. I tie the worm in several variations. Black with full palmered long hackle and short red bucktail tail or with a short grizzly hackle palmered. I also tire it in olive with a chartreuse buck tail tail trimmed short and with a grizzly hackle collar. I have never failed to catch BG with these. BTW I tie the wooly worms with and with out lead wire weight.


    These are my "go to" blue gill" , bream and small black bass flies.

    ------------------
    Michael (Wooly) Woolum
    State Certified Hunter Education Instructor
    Hickory, MS

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Anderson, South Carolina (Northwest corner of SC) USA
    Posts
    2,523

    Default

    Weasel,

    Once the water warms up enough to get the brim feeding in shallow water, I have three favorite flies: Number One---Gurgle Pop, Number Two---Gurgle Pop, and Number Three, the Gurgle Pop. These flies are hard to beat in size #10 and #12. White, yellow and chartreuse are my favorites. The gurgle pops are cheap to make, durable (caught over a hundred brim on one fly) and brim will hit it as fast as you can get it in the water on a good day. There are also excellent tying instructions here on FAOL. Good luck to you and your Dad. 8T

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    You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Canton, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    4,709

    Default

    Brad,
    To support Wooly, the Wooly worm is a fantastic gill fly. I also like it in yellow & black with grizzly hackle....the MOST important part is that red tail!! I'll have to try chartreuse, but I'm a HUGE believer in red. I prefer my wooly worms unweighted, worked slowly..I seem to get most hits on the drop.
    8T..I'll have to check out the Gurgle Pop.
    Mike
    FAOL..All about caring, sharing, & good friends!!

  9. #9

    Default

    Dont forget your soft hackles as Bream love them! I prefer a simple foam spider for the top but if you want to catch them on the days when they are not willing to rise up a soft hackle will get your rod bent real nice. I like a little weight or a small bead to get it down and then add a stike indicator and fish the SH with small strips.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Youngwood, PA, USA
    Posts
    37

    Default

    I was thinking of trying the SHWAPF this weekend for some gills. I have a few that I tied with a red body and squirl tail back and hackel. If I have time tonight, I thought I would tie a scud hook with a bead head, white chennile for a body, and soft hackle of griz. If the weather hods out this weekend, I'll let you know how I did!

    Thanks for all the advice. It's nice to find a lot of people willing to help a semi-newbie out!

    Brad

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