I was wondering if anyone notices a difference if you use estaz instead of hackle for the body material when tying a gurgler fly. The estaz is more durable and quicker to tie.
Sure you can substitute, but if the fly is tied the intended way, the hackle is surrounded by the foam overbody and is the only material other than the foam. Makes it both durable and fast to tie!
Kilroy,
I’ve done it many ways.
On smaller gurglers for panfish, I prefer the plastic chenile or ‘estaz’, or just plain chenile. More for the compactness of the fly than any other reason. The plastic stuff gives a high riding fly that skates and walks well. The regular chenille will absorb some water and give you a fly that sits lower in the water.
For larger gurglers, I’ll use strung saddles or schlappen (sp?), the largest I can find, to give long wavy hackles, trimming them from the bottom. This adds some extra motion for me. I like this when I’m working the fly slowly with long pauses around brush and grass for bass in the summer. If I’m working it quickly, I’ll drop the hackle all together and either just color the foam underbody with markers, or wrap some chenille/estaz/or even dubbing over it.
The nice thing about this fly is that you can ‘modify’ it by changing materials to get it to behave differently on the water. It’s more of a ‘style’ of fly rather than a specific ‘pattern’.
Good Luck!
Buddy
Hey, J,
I think it’s hard to tie a gurgler incorrectly. I’ve used chenille, poly yarn, and dubbing on my gurglers. I use lots of gurglers each year from size #12 to 1/0. On my smaller gurglers (#12 & #10, I particularly like thick dubbed bodies of polar, ice, or antron dubbing. I rough the underside up to get get lots of loose dubbing pieces. Works great. Try it, you’ll like it! 8T 
Okay, what’s everybody using for the saltwater/Pike or muskie config? Using large estaz has to hold up better that saddle hackle when going for fish equipped with sharp teeth.
Estaz may hold up better but isn’t it kind of a moot point since fish like blues, 'cudas, and pike will chew up the foam body pretty quickly anyway? At least that’s the experience I’ve had with blues - mine were good for a couple of fish, at best; not that I’m complaining.
Regards,
Scott
Mr. Gartside mentions that he uses Gurglers (and variations like the Gartside bug) for trout. Any one out there tried it? And will admit to it?
Russ
Russ,
I’ve used a little #12 ‘Gurgler’ for brookies. Caught some rainbows and browns on it too, but the brookies seem to like it a lot. Bright yellow foam back with grizzly hackle.
Trout will eat just about anything if it’s the right size and presented properly.
Good Luck!
Buddy
Hi all,
I dont know what a gurgler is but it sounds interesting anyone want to post the pattern?
many thanks
Salmon man
Salmon Man
Check out the link in the second post
Here is another version of it.
Gurglers are my go-to fly for searun cutthroat in the saltwater. I fish them both as a waking fly and also as a popper, not that they really pop. Searuns love them…haven’t tried them yet in rivers or lakes, but that’s on the agenda for this year.
The Gurgler I tie has a hackle-fiber tail, a braided mylar body and long, sparse soft hackle. White and yellow backs have been my two colors so far, with the yellow being better during the fall when yellowjackets are flying.
Keith