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
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.
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
Hook - Mustad 9671 or comparable # 10-12
Thread - olive or black
Beadhead sized to hook
Tail - green Krystal flash
Body - Olive Estaz
Simple and effective.
I don’t think that you can go wrong with any of the suggestions that you have gotten so far. I don’t think that the pattern is your main concern. I would focus more on the size of the hook. I would be certain to keep the hook size large. Kids (and any new tyer) work best when they have lots of room to tie on. Be sure keep them tying on size #8 or #10 hooks until they get the basics down. Also be sure to get some pictures of little ones at the tying table. 8T 
Al Campbell’s Too Simple series. Easy to tie and they catch fish.
Bluegills around here tear up a black and yellow Chernobyle Ant.
Look up Terry and Roxanne’s Bully spider, it’s super easy to tie, craft foam and round rubber legs. It absolutley kills on the panfish and best of all the 'gills strike on the drop and all you have to do is roll cast on out on the pond and “wham” fish on. I think the youngsters will enjoy tying this one as well because of endless color choices.
JA
Thanks for the pattern suggestions and most importantly for reminding me about keeping the patterns big enough that they don’t get too frustrated.
Early next month is the big fly tying show up by Cleveland. I will be sure to grab up some goodies for the spiders and similars. I most likely have the materials for the other patterns
Dave: This week’s fly of the week looks good.
Tim
I hate to admit it, but I have actually put a live nightcrawler, or Red Wiggler Worm on a bare hook and fly-casted it. It worked great, but I am very ashamed. I was desperate. I wanted to fish and all I had was my fly rod, and no flies with me. I have also live-fly fished crickets and grasshoppers.
Forgive me, for I have sinned. I have used live bait with a fly rod on several occaisions.
Deus vobiscum
Hook - Mustad 9671 or similar # 10-12
Beadhead matched to hook
thread - olive or black
Tail - bit of green krystal flash
Body - Olive Estaz
Simple and effective
If worms are a sin then I must be the devil himself. LOL
I burnt a ton of summer days in my youth and even now from time to time sitting on the dock with worm and bobber.
hard to beat a gill or crappie sandwich
Not a bad idea if the gills on Otter lake will not give the kids much action on flies.
Our dock is on the a great little gravel flat and some big/wise bull blue gills come in to nest. I am pretty good with ultra light spin set ups for pan fish but these gills will not turn often
I am sure the kids will get plenty of the satalite males but those pounder bulls did not get that way bitting at just anything.
I may have the kids tie up some little bucktail jig heads to use with their spin cast and a casting bobber too.