Question:

Tony Knox said in another thread: "Many experienced fishers, who have in their time tried hundreds of different patterns, will carry only half a dozen at any one time." Sounds like a great thread starter…so, what are you carrying in <your fly box these days (if its not unethical to ask…)? riverman

Response:

Tony Knox said in another thread: "Many experienced fishers, who have in their time tried hundreds of different patterns, will carry only half a dozen at any one time." Sounds like a great thread starter…so, what are you carrying in <your fly box these days (if its not unethical to ask…)?

  Clousers, Deceivers, Charlies and some ‘naturals’ based on kicked up   wingsi/bodys. (like the flies at www.successflies.com)   The other box has a few poppers, and a couple of "Standing Yabbies".   http://www.fishnet.com.au/flyswap/flybox/standingyabby.html   That would be 6 styles of fly …   Steve   (Not going to the rever for at least a fortnight

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Tony Knox said in another thread: "Many experienced fishers, who have in their time tried hundreds of different patterns, will carry only half a dozen at any one time." Sounds like a great thread starter…so, what are you carrying in <your fly box these days (if its not unethical to ask…)?

It depends on where I’m fishing.  On my home water, I often just carry a small box on a lanyard with maybe fifty flies in it. On new rivers and especially in new areas I generally wear a loaded vest with LOTS of different flies. Overall, I don’t think you need alot of different patterns, but different sizes and types of flies are important. Willi

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It depends on where I’m fishing.  On my home water, I often just carry a small box on a lanyard with maybe fifty flies in it. On new rivers and especially in new areas I generally wear a loaded vest with LOTS of different flies.

I agree with that. I spend the day fishing on a familiar stream Thursday with a box full of flies–but only ended up using four different patterns and lost no flies. –Steve

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1. Parachute Adams 2. Parachute Hopper 3. Stimulator 4. Pheasant tail 5. Pheasant tail 6. Pheasant tail For the San Juan: 1. Red Larva 24 2. Disco 22 3. KF Emerger 24 4. RS2 22 grey 5. Orange Worm 6. RS2 24 brown

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……what are you carrying in <your fly box these days (if its not unethical to ask…)?

As a one time small scale commercial tier, I not only tied every pattern I could get a picture or recipe for, I also experimented a great deal. I’ve got a vest with a lot of pockets.  It’s always seemed silly to me to carry around a bunch of empty pockets.  Thus, I usually carry anywhere from 5 or 6 to upwards of ten fly boxes crammed full of a huge assortment of flies.  Some of these are so old and have been hidden under other flies for so long that I only see them every couple of years or so.  Every once in a while I waste a couple of hours sorting through the boxes and trying to arrange them according to one scheme or another.  I always give up long before the task is completed, so I have to dig through a number of boxes whenever looking for inspiration in the middle of what appears to be a barren stream. In one pocket (I never remember which one because it changes….apparently of its own will) I keep a box with most of the flies I am likely to use on most outings.  This one contains elk hair caddis, pass lakes, pheasant tail nymphs, picket pin, grhe, maybe some humpies, a couple of wulff variations, foam ants, and hoppers in season.  The others I am fairly likely to use on a more or less regular basis are woolly buggers, woolly worms, mickey finns, hornbergs, and a couple of other oddball streamers and nymphs. Most of the above list account for a small percentage of the fish I catch.  Probably 80% of the trout I catch fall prey to the ehc.  Add the pass lake, foam ants, and hoppers and the total likely comes up to 95%. Woolly buggers, pts, and grhes round it out to virtually 100%. Blue gills are incredible suckers for the pass lake.  Small mouth bass can’t get enough of woolly buggers. Wolfgang and then there’s the hex hatch….of course

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Having just had an opportunity (at the recent roff NOT clave) to review what I carry and what I’m likely to use, I am qualified to comment. There are lessons within this submission. In times long past, I carried one or two small boxes with a few useful flies and caught fish.  Over the past few years, I’ve called Walt and had him get a dozen of this and a dozen of that and load them into an Okuma box or two.  Now, I find that my chest pack is stuffed full of Okuma boxes with all manner of flies.  And the damndest thing, as evidenced by this recent outing, is that Walt now comes to me, saying "you got a sparkly green Wooly Bugger with red eyes and an orange Now, I don’t catch any more fish, I have a sore lumbar region from all of the weight in my pack, my wallet’s empty and the bastid wanted me to leave my remaining beer behind at my departure "so he and Jeff wouldn’t have to go into town for more……". Hell, you thought *you* had friends……. How many flies…..well lemme say *that* ain’t the real question…nossir,….nossir, it ain’t. Tom ……what are you carrying in <your fly box these days (if its not unethical to ask…)?

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8< Now, I don’t catch any more fish, I have a sore lumbar region from all of the weight in my pack, my wallet’s empty and the bastid wanted me to leave my remaining beer behind at my departure "so he and Jeff wouldn’t have to go into town for more……".

now Tom, you know that was justifiable concern for your well-being….. I couldn’t stand the thought of you possibly being arrested for transportin’ across the state. I shouldn’t have been concerned as Big Dale made a trip over to Bryson and picked up some wonderful brews….. Guiness, Bass, some Octos… come to mind….. BTW, despite jeffies energetic attempt, I still have plenty left…… Opie left his brew also…. hmmm, round two? flies….. hmmmmm, here in NC….. adams parachute, don’t leave home without it. a funny aside…. the other day as tommy and i were unpacking a display fixture, the usual foam peanuts also contained these thick dun gray closed cell foam pieces. we were gigglin like school children with the tyin possibilities….. foam bodied adams…etc. i can’t wait to try them out. Big Dale: that sweet little neck you gave me from the fff clave is producin some of the most wonderful yellahammas…. thankee, thankeee, thankeeeeeeeeeeee! –waldo

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so, what are you carrying in <your fly box these days (if its not unethical to ask…)?

Elk Hair Caddis, Yellow and Orange Stimulators, CDC Two Feathers, Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ears, Prince Nymphs. Both nymphs with and without beads, ‘tho the bead heads are generally more productive, IME. That’s almost all of it, except that depending on the time of year I carry a couple of favorite terrestrial patterns like hoppers and beetles. During the coldest part of winter I tie some 22-24 nymphs with black, red, or clear glass bead heads, which are deadly fished at the bottom of a pool with lots of weight and drifted s-l-o-w-l-y. I also like Larva Lace Soft Hackles at different times of the year. So all that exceeds the half dozen or so patterns suggested by the quote, but not by much. If I had to give up all patterns but one, I’d keep the EHC. I catch 75% of my trout in the Smokies and Blue Ridge on them.

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—–BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE—– Hash: SHA1 Sounds like a great thread starter…so, what are you carrying in <your fly box these days (if its not unethical to ask…)?

Parachute Adams Quill Gordons Prince Nymphs Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ears Clouser Minnows (useless for trout, wonderful for crappie) Dave’s Hoppers (don’t know why. I’ve never had a take on them) And if I stop in a flyshop for advice, I’ll usually carry a dozen of whatever they recommend. "Gimme a dozen of whatever’s working" or something like. And nothing is unethical unless rw is the one doing it. – — "Armchair warriors often fail, and we’ve been  poisoned by these fairy tales" -Don Henley —–BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE—– Version: GnuPG v1.0.6 (GNU/Linux) Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org iD8DBQE71VT/rpli/675/DERAjGaAKCCDObehLzMiboUHOXVp7lbbdcuiACgh3/b aqEkwEmhVyvNNbCvsfCbd74= =gslu —–END PGP SIGNATURE—–

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What’s in my box today ? None of your damned business… ;{) — The Halfordian Golfer The deceipt ends with the lure.

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What’s in my box today ? None of your damned business… ;{)

Ahhh, T-Bone. You are consistent, if nothing else. I withdraw the question… <g riverman

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What’s in my box today ? None of your damned business… Ahhh, T-Bone. You are consistent, if nothing else. I withdraw the question…

Don’t worry riverman. I think he just didn’t understand the question. If you had instead asked "what’s in your coffee can?" you likely would have got the answer you were looking for. –Steve

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What’s in my box today ? None of your damned business… Ahhh, T-Bone. You are consistent, if nothing else. I withdraw the question… Don’t worry riverman. I think he just didn’t understand the question. If you had instead asked "what’s in your coffee can?" you likely would have got the answer you were looking for.

Really? T-Bone uses a coffeecan to store his flies? How does this work, T-Bone? (And I wasn’t worried. T-Bone is definately the Pike in this pond, and helps keep a nice balanced ecosystem. I’m just fishing on light tackle today.) riverman

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Question:

I thought I’d tell you all about an interesting but rather expensive vacation spot I found on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  My wife and kids loved it, and I did a lot of backcountry (saltwater estuary) fly fishing while they recreated in other ways. We stayed four days on Palm Island, just off the coast near Englewood, Florida.  There’s a ferry that shuttles you to the island from the mainland.  The Palm Island Resort is carefully controlled and maintained: you walk everywhere, or use golf-cart shuttles.  The island abounds in wildlife: waterfowl, tortoises, armadilloes, dolpins, and lotsa seashells that aren’t picked over, as they are along other Gulf Coast beaches.  Great beaches, swimming pools and grounds. Activities for little kids and teen-agers, especially during holiday/spring break periods.   There are other (less expensive?) condominiums and rental homes on the island, also known as Don Pedro.  You can probably find them on the Internet. I brought my little Water Otter one-man pontoon boat, launched it in the bay in back of the Island (Rum Bay), and had a great time fly-fishing for 16-to-24-inch snook. You can also rent canoes from the resort.  Rum Bay connects with Lemon Bay, which is usually good for redfish and seatrout, but the weather was cool and my results were not good. I guess it’s better in the spring, when temperatures are higher.  I finally nailed a 24-inch redfish my third day there. There’s even better backcountry fishing about 15 minutes south along the mainland, in the Cape Haze Wildlife Refuge.  You might need to hire a guide for you first trip into this maze of tidewater bays and islands. Just a thought for the fly-fishing fanatic who would like to take spouse and kids along.

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I thought I’d tell you all about an interesting but rather expensive vacation spot I found on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  My wife and kids loved it, and I did a lot of backcountry (saltwater estuary) fly fishing while they recreated in other ways. We stayed four days on Palm Island, just off the coast near Englewood, Florida.  There’s a ferry that shuttles you to the island from the mainland.  The Palm Island Resort is carefully controlled and maintained: you walk everywhere, or use golf-cart shuttles.  The island abounds in wildlife: waterfowl, tortoises, armadilloes, dolpins, and lotsa seashells that aren’t picked over, as they are along other Gulf Coast beaches.  Great beaches, swimming pools and grounds. Activities for little kids and teen-agers, especially during holiday/spring break periods.

Jeez, another one. Don’t anyone read his full post! Fishing in Florida is none existent, there is nothing in the water but moccasin and gators, fleas flies and mosquitoes. The Goby has more fishable water that Florida. It is a waste of time to come here to fish it is either cold or raining all the time. All these fish stories are bought and paid for by guides.

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Okay, so I won’t post again.   I never hired a guide.  Did you read anything about guides in my post?

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Okay, so I won’t post again. I never hired a guide.  Did you read anything about guides in my post?

Popp was just kidding, Professor. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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Yes RW I was kidding, I see by another post the prof saw no humor in my post thus rejecting the idea that I was kidding. I thought my post quite humorous to say the least. I’m really heart broken over that. By the way been gone a bit due to another crash. Guess I need to update this old girl. In the previous crash the shop I took it to just reformatted C drive and lost all my drivers and didn’t know how to reinstall them (had to rewrite the system file to allocate memory for the 7 additional serial ports which I don’t use any more) and didn’t know how to share irq’s. so that eliminated the 7 tray cd changer. This time I lost D and E drives so I guess it’s time to upgrade the MB and add new resources. The only thing I wasn’t able to stuff into the myself (cheaper and better) rather than take it back to the shop so it’ll take longer. If you all don’t hear from me for a while you’ll know. I’ll be back.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Okay, so I won’t post again. I never hired a guide.  Did you read anything about guides in my post? Popp was just kidding, Professor. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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Question:

I wanted some information on the Calvan 2.75 reel.  What do you all think?  Are they any good? That should be Galvan Real not Calvan. So, what do you think of them? I’ve seen them in a couple of fly shops. From what I can tell, they’re creat

I think mine is very gool. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/

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That should be Galvan Real not Calvan. So, what do you think of them? De Loy

I’ve got two Calvans.  They’re not as nice as the Galvans but the name tag is spiffy and goes with my wading jeans.  The advantage of the Calvan is it holds 300 yards of backing with a WF12F Hilfiger line.  If you get the drag model it comes with a wig and a pair of high heels along with an Elton John CD. — Wayne To fish is human….To release Divine! Before you buy.

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Hilfiger?  Isn’t he the guy that was talking to Opra and said, . . . ? Before you buy.

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I’m new here so please help me out. I wanted some information on the Calvan 2.75 reel.  What do you all think?  Are they any good? Thanks, De Loy Before you buy.

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I’m new here so please help me out. I wanted some information on the Calvan 2.75 reel.  What do you all think?  Are they any good? Thanks, De Loy Before you buy.

That should be Galvan Real not Calvan. So, what do you think of them? De Loy Before you buy.

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I wanted some information on the Calvan 2.75 reel.  What do you all think?  Are they any good? That should be Galvan Real not Calvan. So, what do you think of them?

I’ve seen them in a couple of fly shops. From what I can tell, they’re creat –Steve

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Question:

Had mine for a bit over two years now, the smallest sized one.  No complaints.  Neat little reel.  However, there are lots of reels of similar quality in this price range.  Ryall has conical components which push against each other as opposed to a disc-type drag.  These components are in a sealed axial drag assembly.

More easily visualized as a sealed drum brake, I think.The "drum" is inside the arbor, and the split conical pieces are the "shoes". On the big Ryalls there’s plenty of stopping power, and you don’t have to worry about sand or saltwater getting inside. I am not into collecting equipment so I don’t expect to purchase another reel in this size range until this one dies.  

The #2 is a cute little fellah. If I didn’t already have a little CFO I’d have probably bought one when Jim first came out with the #2. /daytripper

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The #2 is a cute little fellah. If I didn’t already have a little CFO I’d have probably bought one when Jim first came out with the #2. /daytripper

What????? And you call yourself a gear whore… –Steve

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The #2 is a cute little fellah. If I didn’t already have a little CFO I’d have probably bought one when Jim first came out with the #2. What????? And you call yourself a gear whore…

LOL! No – I don’t. I’m just a victim of soicumstances!

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Yes. I have a #8 and a #10, use them both for saltwater flyfishing (stripers/bluefish). Nothing but good experiences with both. /daytripper

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 I have the #2 and the #8 and they’re sweet. For the money they’re best modern reels I own. Bob Smith Before you buy.

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Had mine for a bit over two years now, the smallest sized one.  No complaints.  Neat little reel.  However, there are lots of reels of similar quality in this price range.  Ryall has conical components which push against each other as opposed to a disc-type drag.  These components are in a sealed axial drag assembly.  I am not into collecting equipment so I don’t expect to purchase another reel in this size range until this one dies.   Mu

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Question:

Does anyone have info re: the upcoming fly expo in Lisle.  I know that it’s sponsored by the Dupage River Fly Tyers (DRIFT) but am wondering if there will be industry vendors present.  Or, is it a clinic featuring DRIFT members? Thanks, Dave Before you buy.

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All I know is that its at the Hyatt on Jan 15th.  I’m going because there isn’t anything for flyfishermen at the Rosemont fishing show.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does anyone have info re: the upcoming fly expo in Lisle.  I know that it’s sponsored by the Dupage River Fly Tyers (DRIFT) but am wondering if there will be industry vendors present.  Or, is it a clinic featuring DRIFT members? Thanks, Dave Before you buy.

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I heard from two people that last year’s show at Oak Brook was a huge flop. I’m not sure if the Lisle show is replacing the Oak Brook show.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All I know is that its at the Hyatt on Jan 15th.  I’m going because there isn’t anything for flyfishermen at the Rosemont fishing show. Is that the show that they usually have in Oak Brook? Joel Axelrad

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Here’s the url: http://www.steelheadsite.com/mwff_expo.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – All I know is that its at the Hyatt on Jan 15th.  I’m going because there isn’t anything for flyfishermen at the Rosemont fishing show. Is that the show that they usually have in Oak Brook? Joel Axelrad

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All I know is that its at the Hyatt on Jan 15th.  I’m going because there isn’t anything for flyfishermen at the Rosemont fishing show.

Is that the show that they usually have in Oak Brook? Joel Axelrad

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Question:

Hey: I’m interested in doing some flyfishing in the Florida Keys next April. Can anybody give me recommendations on guides in that area for tapon and bonefish?  This is my first trip.

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Hey: I’m interested in doing some flyfishing in the Florida Keys next April. Can anybody give me recommendations on guides in that area for tapon and bonefish?  This is my first trip.

Hi Brian, This is a good time to book a guide for next spring. April/May/June is prime time. All the top guides have tackle for the day(s) you are with them. If you want to wade or rent a boat on your own then you need some tackle. I would call West and if he doesn’t have any days left he will know some other high quality guides in the Keys. He is considered in the top of his field and is also lots of fun to fish with. You can see him in the Billy Pate Tarpon fishing videos. As you can tell he is one of my heros.  . Bill Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento,CA,USA 800/4000FLY

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Question:

I need info on getting info (flyfishing for trout) in northern Washington, Idaho and Montana states. Thanx Bish

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I need info on getting info (flyfishing for trout) in northern Washington, Idaho and Montana states.

Hi Bish Your request is fairly broad.  In Washington I recommend you contact the Blue Dun Fly Shop in Wenatchee (509-664-2416) and in Idaho check with the Cast a Way Fly Shop in Coeur d’Alene (208-765-3313). In Montana the Yellowstone River is fishing good, most of the waters in the Park are also fishing well.  The Clarks Fork is high but starting to turn on.  The Madison is good AM & PM and slow through the day.  The Gallatin is Fishing good through the day and into the evening (caddis).   Hoppers, caddis, woolly buggers, and bead heads are the flies of choice.  Also Wulffs, Trudes, etc. are alway a good choice. Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (96 catalog)

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The following are acouple of places that may be able to answer questions about fly fishing in Montana http://www.cyberport.net/ecs/troutski/troutski.html http://www.cyberport.net/ecs/wwater/gnwwater.html — Electronic Cottage Services http://www.cyberport.net/ecs/lakeco/business/ecs/ecshome.html PO Box 81 Polson, MT 59860 406-887-2899

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The following are acouple of places that may be able to answer questions about fly fishing in Montana

OR NOT!!!

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Path: news.micron.net!news.sprintlink.net!news-stk-11.sprintlink.net!cs.utexas.ed u!swrinde!news-res.gsl.net!news.gsl.net!hunter.premier.net!news.cais.net!nn tp04.primenet.com!news.shkoo.com!nntp.primenet.com!news.fibr.net!news.inter netMCI.com!news-admin Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly Organization: InternetMCI Lines: 7 NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup535.bloomington.mci.net The following are acouple of places that may be able to answer questions about fly fishing in Montana OR NOT!!!

Try calling the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association or visit the Idaho home page.

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Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -All I Need T Know About Life I learned From Fishing * There is no such thing as too much equipment. *  When in doubt, exaggerate. * If it feels good, it’s fishing. * Everyone has a story about the one that got away. * It’s good to be at the top of the food chain. * Even the best lines get weak after they’ve been used a few times. *  Sometimes you’ve really got to squirm to get off the hook. * Cast everything in the best light possible. * Keep one eye on your bobber at all times. * Get reel! * Life is a stream of conciousness thing. * Take time to smell the fishes. * I fish, therefore I am. * The way to a fisherman’s heart is through his fly. * A fishing line has a hook at one end and an optimist at the other. * Fish always start to grow after they get away. * Life is a can of worms. * The fishing is always better on the other side of the lake. Good things come to those who wade. * When the going gets tough, the tough go fishing. My mom picked this list up for me at Fred Meyers for $6. It has a matte, and I’m working on getting it framed to hang in the bedroom. Just thought you’d all enjoy it, I know I did.

how about…happiness is a wet pole that smells like fish? sorry, couldn’t help it.<g stev – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Arklier Firsty is the best!

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All I Need T Know About Life I learned From Fishing * There is no such thing as too much equipment. *  When in doubt, exaggerate. * If it feels good, it’s fishing. * Everyone has a story about the one that got away. * It’s good to be at the top of the food chain. * Even the best lines get weak after they’ve been used a few times. *  Sometimes you’ve really got to squirm to get off the hook. * Cast everything in the best light possible. * Keep one eye on your bobber at all times. * Get reel! * Life is a stream of conciousness thing. * Take time to smell the fishes. * I fish, therefore I am. * The way to a fisherman’s heart is through his fly. * A fishing line has a hook at one end and an optimist at the other. * Fish always start to grow after they get away. * Life is a can of worms. * The fishing is always better on the other side of the lake. Good things come to those who wade. * When the going gets tough, the tough go fishing. My mom picked this list up for me at Fred Meyers for $6. It has a matte, and I’m working on getting it framed to hang in the bedroom. Just thought you’d all enjoy it, I know I did. Arklier Firsty is the best!

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Question:

From an avid fly-fisher living in the worst fly-fishing area in the world: HELP! Living in eastern Kansas, (having come from western Montana), the only trout I have heard about in this area are lake trout in Lake Shawnee near Topeka, KS. My question is:  Is there a way to fly-fish for lake Trout?  Won’t they more  than likely be bottom feeding?  How do I get down to them without having to (gag) bring out my spinning reel?  Am I just out of luck?                         BK Devlin

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You’re not going to like this but you can only do well on lakers when the water temps near optimum up top.  Unless you use uranium core sinking lines.  It’s switch to carp.  They hit Italian dry flies — cubes of bread — nicely and fight like freshwater bonefish.   It’s only a couple of days to Idaho. — ** Louis Bignami, Publisher         http://www.finefishing.com Fine Fishing Internet Magazine                "largest fishing mag on the Net" **

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Question:

There is an article in the Long Island Edition of The Fisherman Magazine which, as I understand it, is distributed for several other areas as well on the east coast. I found some interesting tips in the article so I thought I’d pass it along…. HighHooks-n-TightLines,      Jose

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We have a farm pond that’s over-run with gills, I keep a cane pole with a #14 wooly-worm at ready to reduce the numbers, Over the past two years we’ve really improved the fishing there alot.  We ocasionally get one that’s big enough to eat, but they get thrown back. Bob

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I know during the early spring season bluegills get very little respect.   But I love to catch those little ^%&^%&^*&*!  I admit I           lots of fun on the fly, but I don’t know what patterns to throw at them. Dry flys, streamers, nymphs….Any suggestions?

Yee!  I use small spider fly, which I will let go with the edge of the current, you will see the splash!  By the way, red is my favorite color in Summer, and spider is easy to tie by yourself don’t waste money! Bill

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writes: Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly Path:

legba.synergy.net!news.scruz.net!isp1.isp.net!slip.net!nntp-hub2.barrnet.ne t!ne ws3.near.net!news2.near.net!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!grapevi ne.l cs.mit.edu!uhog.mit.edu!news.mtholyoke.edu!news.umass.edu!caen!usenet.cis.u fl.e du!usenet.eel.ufl.edu!pacifier!news.alpha.net!uwm.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!us enet ucs.indiana.edu!onyx.indstate.edu!NewsWatcher!user Followup-To: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly Nntp-Posting-Host: 139.102.47.57 Organization: Indiana State University

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Lines: 12 I too love to flyfish for bluegill.  I lived in the great basin area of the west for 25 years, and only thought that trout were worth flyfishing for. Then I moved to Indiana, bass and bluegill heaven.  I use a 2weight rod and poppers that I make out of foam, cork, or balsa.  The average bluegill in this area  is about 6 inches, but I have caught several bluegill out of a particular lake that have been 12 inches long.  I don’t dream about owning a house on a stream in the west anymore, I dream about owning a small lake that has big bass and bluegill in it. "I am haunted by waters." -Norman Maclean-

Chris, what is the length of the rod? I use to use a 9ft 2wt, but now I use a 10ft 3wt. From the Float Tube of Elmer G. Meiler Somewhere on the Pond of OZ

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I like a black wooly buggerish fly tied out of just black marabou on a #10 3906b (or a reasonable facsimile).  Just tie it in at the bend, wrap the marabou to the eye, tie it off and viola!  A simple bluegill killer.  A small deer hair frog will also take bluegills and bass.  When all else fails, a peacock body with a hungarian partridge hen hackle in front fished wet is also a killer.

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Any black midge or small callabaetis works well.

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   I have literally NEVER cast one of those without catching a bluegill!

Try this on for size for bluegill madness! Same as above for the fly, but try using a three weight rod. A teeny bluegill suddenly feels like a 5 pound monster! Bluegill ho! edwin

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When they are down deeper try a Bully bluegill spider byTerry Wilson, great fly. The bass pond has them or all Terry at 417-777-2467

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I’ve found that the small to middling bluegills are the ones you’ll find hitting anything up top. The really big ones become more solitary and hang out at the lower levels. For these, the best flies by far are nymphs in the 8-12 size range. You’ll probably want to custom-tie some weighted ones with weed guards to get down there quickly, but it’s worth the effort to feel a big dinner-plate sized bluegill turning sideways and pulling with all its might. BTW, the April issue of 8-Wt Journal is, coincidentally, on bluegills. JL 8-Wt Editor

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I know during the early spring season bluegills get very little respect.   But I love to catch those little ^%&^%&^*&*!  I admit I love to fish for trout, but pound for pound bluegills are one of the most aggressive fresh water fish out!   Is there anyone who know of any big bluegill hot spots in Mississippi! I hear they get up to 1.5 – 3 pounds down there! Greg

There are many man made lakes brimming with bluegills that would be lots of fun on the fly, but I don’t know what patterns to throw at them. Dry flys, streamers, nymphs….Any suggestions? -jmc

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My Friends, I really appreciate everyones respond to my message! It seems like bulegill get a little respect after all! I thought I was one of few who enjoyed catching them! I read everyones message, but I did not hear about any hot fishing spots. I already have a box full of flies ready for this weekend! If there are any lakes or ponds that you suggest let know. Thanks Greg Classic Fly Fisherman Company P.O. Box 4521 Greenville, De 19807-4521 Phone: (302) 764-3236 Fax: (302) 764-5974

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I’ve had great luck catching bluegills using a two fly rig with an Irristible dry fly as a strike indicator and a Silver Hilton as the trailer.  The silver hilton is a steelhead pattern which I tie on a size 12 79580 Mustad sized right for the small mouths of our bluegills. Why this miniature Silver Hilton pattern drives the bluegills nuts is a mystery to me, maybe the action of the split wing, maybe the size and color imitates some common bug?   In some years, we get heavy infestations of a dusty gray moth we here call ‘millers’ (moth of the ordinary cutworm). In those years, a Hornberg is deadly on bluegills during miller season.

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There are many man made lakes brimming with bluegills that would be lots of fun on the fly, but I don’t know what patterns to throw at them. Dry flys, streamers, nymphs….Any suggestions? -jmc

Two Words: Sneaky Pete.  Available many places (even Orvis!).  Bluegills can’t say no to this guy…. Phil Calvin                                       ‘91 Hawkgt, DoD#242

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: There are many man made lakes brimming with bluegills that would be : lots of fun on the fly, but I don’t know what patterns to throw at : them. Dry flys, streamers, nymphs….Any suggestions? For BIG bluegill, try a popper bug .. it will always float (if its wood), and don’t be suprised if a largemouth bass hit it too, or a pickerel for that matter. — pete

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Greg, Yep.  All of the above.  dries, nymps, streamers, wet’s they’ll all catch ‘gills. in early spring – pre-spawn, a small nymph works great, as do woolly worms and smaller woolly buggers.(wooly’s are great all season) During the spawn — wooly’s or just about anything slowly swimming through the spawninb beds.  Humpy’s for dries or small poppers, are a blast when the water is smooth as glass! Jim Elias Blue Grass IA H.Y.M.R.

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There are many man made lakes brimming with bluegills that would be lots of fun on the fly, but I don’t know what patterns to throw at them. Dry flys, streamers, nymphs….Any suggestions? -jmc

The feature that most great bluegill flies have in common is white rubber legs.  Look for the very fine strands; sometimes it is hard to find in fly shops. My favorite fly is a girdle bug:  black chenille body on a long shank nymph hook (size 10 or 12, depending on the fish), white rubber legs and a couple of strands for a tail.  Weight with lead wire, a bead head, or just a split shot on the leader if the water is more than a couple feet deep. Frank Stetzer                        "…a cheerful comrade is better Information and Media Technologies    than a waterproof coat and a Univ Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA         foot-warmer."  Henry Van Dyke,

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: There are many man made lakes brimming with bluegills that would be : lots of fun on the fly, but I don’t know what patterns to throw at : them. Dry flys, streamers, nymphs….Any suggestions?

I have been fly fishing for bluegills for many years now and have settled on two flys: For a dry fly I use the renegade which has hackle front and back to keep it afloat. If they’re not taking the dry,I use a Montana nymph which seems to work on just about any fish. The trick is to find a lake with big bluegills and not like most lakes with lots of but mostly stunted fish!!!!! Anyway, good luck and have fun !!

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I too love to flyfish for bluegill.  I lived in the great basin area of the west for 25 years, and only thought that trout were worth flyfishing for. Then I moved to Indiana, bass and bluegill heaven.  I use a 2weight rod and poppers that I make out of foam, cork, or balsa.  The average bluegill in this area  is about 6 inches, but I have caught several bluegill out of a particular lake that have been 12 inches long.  I don’t dream about owning a house on a stream in the west anymore, I dream about owning a small lake that has big bass and bluegill in it. "I am haunted by waters." -Norman Maclean-

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I know during the early spring season bluegills get very little respect.   But I love to catch those little ^%&^%&^*&*!  I admit I           lots of fun on the fly, but I don’t know what patterns to throw at them. Dry flys, streamers, nymphs….Any suggestions?

I’ve been using small #10 yellow popping bugs, the kind that are shaped like a small cigar and have four ruber feet and a small feather tail. the bluegills and crappie have been tearing them up, and i’ve had the ocaisional small large mouth hit them too, but big brim really love’m,. Bill C.

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I own a one acre pond that is full of large bluegills. The oldest are 5 years old and there are plenty of them. Since the second year I have fished the pond almost entirely with a fly rod. Since I release nearly all of them, they have become very educated to my patterns. At one time a wooly bugger could take about everything including the channel cats. Now I have to change patterns all the time. As soon as I find an effective fly, it takes about a week, they just stop biting on it. Then its a trial and error search until I find the right combination. Any suggestions?  I have had great luck with chrinomidge patterns, nymphs, wooly buggers ( olive and black), and limited luck with dry fly patterns. These are smart fish!

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Newgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly

I was just browsing through Wulff on Flyfishing.  He recommends the backwards-tied fly for these smart, educated fish.  Its just the same as a normal pattern, except the hackle & head are at the hook bend.  Lee Wulff opines that its the bend in the hook that is the giveaway to the educated fish and that when the hackle is tied over the bend and hides it, you are one up on the fish.  Also, he suggests that, especially with dry flies, the flotation is better since the hackle floats the heavier portion of the fly (the bend) better. I haven’t tried these "backwards flies" but it might work. Regards, Al Soroka

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I know during the early spring season bluegills get very little respect.   But I love to catch those little ^%&^%&^*&*!  I admit I love to fish for trout, but pound for pound bluegills are one of the most aggressive fresh water fish out!   Is there anyone who know of any big bluegill hot spots in Mississippi! I hear they get up to 1.5 – 3 pounds down there! Greg

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There are many man made lakes brimming with bluegills that would be lots of fun on the fly, but I don’t know what patterns to throw at them. Dry flys, streamers, nymphs….Any suggestions? -jmc

Just about anything that moves will catch bluegills.  Dry ones are fun just twitch them a bit enough to make a ripple.  Watch the bugs on the water.  The flit about just making ripples, then **WHAM** bluegill will hit it and take it under.  They go for anything that moves though.

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   In my experience, the ONE guaranteed-to-catch-em bluegill fly is one of those tiny little cork/balsa flat-faced poppers, in either yellow or pearl, with rubber legs and a tuft of feather out the back. (I’m talking about the kind that are almost a dime a dozen in bubble packaging at K-Mart!)    I have literally NEVER cast one of those without catching a bluegill!    BTW, I too love to fish for bluegill.  Many days, after fishing with bigger flys for smallmouth, I’ll end the day by tying on one of those little poppers and catching some bluegill.  I find the tiny poppers are a joy to cast with an 8-weight rod as they are virtually weightless on a big tippet, allowing you to really "slice-n-dice" on casts, delicately placing the popper under branches, overhangs, etc.    Ditto on bluegill being great fighters…they’re like the ants of the fish world…super-strong for their size! —         Scott Wilkinson         Montgomery County, Maryland

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I know during the early spring season bluegills get very little respect.   But I love to catch those little ^%&^%&^*&*!  I admit I love to fish for trout, but pound for pound bluegills are one of the most aggressive fresh water fish out!   Is there anyone who know of any big bluegill hot spots in Mississippi! I hear they get up to 1.5 – 3 pounds down there! Greg There are many man made lakes brimming with bluegills that would be lots of fun on the fly, but I don’t know what patterns to throw at them. Dry flys, streamers, nymphs….Any suggestions? -jmc

There are a LOT of flies that will work for bluegill and other panfish, but the two best, bar none, are the rubber spider, and the Sneaky Pete popper. The spiders, in sizes 8 to 16, are _absolutely_ the most deadly fly around. The best day I ever had fishing was one in which I caught 200 bluegill in _2_hours_, all on a black rubber spider. It was taking me longer to unhook the fish than it was to catch them! <<grin However, if you want ONLY pan-size panfish, use the Sneaky Pete, size 10 or larger, in chartreuse. Small fish will hit at it, but won’t be able to grab it. Only the larger fish will take it down… and then you’ve got ‘em! Nymphs, dries, and poppers of all types, as well as small streamers, will all work for bluegill… but these two flies are the top producers. — Joe Ellis         o/~ The Synthetic Filker o/~ |    TesserAct Studios

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