FTDB - Bluegill

[Bryan Wright 0]

I am looking at the data base and can only find 3 nymph patterns with bluegill in the description. Why isn't Bluegill a target species to search for? Am I not getting something? :wallbash: Should I just search for any Nymph?

 

Thanks guys

[NJ All Day 0]

I am looking at the data base and can only find 3 nymph patterns with bluegill in the description. Why isn't Bluegill a target species to search for? Am I not getting something? :wallbash: Should I just search for any Nymph?

 

Thanks guys

Virtually any nymph will catch bluegill.

[Steve P 0]

Virtually any "thing" small enough to get in their mouth will catch blue gill. That being said if you have a body of water that has a fair population of large blue gills you need to key in on exactly what they eat. Go get a seine and drag it through the moss to see what they are getting out of there, then search for a pattern.

 

Steve

[tidewaterfly 0]

Bryan, I agree with Evan, Bluegills are not that particular that you need specific patterns for them. Any trout fly could be a Bluegill fly. But, I also agree with Steve about the bigger ones.

 

The biggest Bluegills I ever saw were caught in Florida, they were in the 12 to 13" range and I caught them on white marabou streamers. If you're looking for flies for bigger gills, then small, simple baitfish patterns that have good movement are a good bet, and large, buggy nymphs will work. Most of the ones I catch around here are under 8 inches long, and I usually tie the flies on a size 4, 6 or 8 hook. I never liked anything smaller because they always seemed to swallow them too deep.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

search for panfish nymph there is 47 entries and since bluegill is a panfish you should be fine

[Bryan Wright 0]

Thanks for the responses guys. I appreciate it. I have more than enough to work with now. Now I am going to go through my material and see what nymphs I can make with what I have. I don't think there will be big bluegill but if there are the water is still probably too cold to get them moving anyways. I will check out the lake and the ponds were planning on fishing as the weather warms up.

[Curtis Fry 0]

I love to target the 'gills. Like mentioned before, they're not too finicky. I have found, however, that sometimes the early season bite is a little tougher. Since most lakes and ponds have healthy populations of Chironomids, that's my go-to pattern style in the Spring.

 

 

I also like this style of pattern based on my buddy's "Damsebaetis", which can imitate damsels, dragon flies and callibaetis. Again, all 'gill food:

 

 

Then once they start to get aggressive, it's topwater!

 

 

 

 

[Mickalo 0]

Curtis would happen to have pattern/material list for that Damsebaetis fly? That looks like a real killer for gills.

 

I found allot of your common nymph patterns work great for gills, crappies, and smallies depending on the time of year.

 

Never really tried a Chironomid pattern but makes sense. Hopefully we'll be able to hits the waters here in the next few weeks. still lots of ice on the small ponds around here.

 

Mike

[Curtis Fry 0]

Curtis would happen to have pattern/material list for that Damsebaetis fly? That looks like a real killer for gills.

 

I'll have a tutorial for it on my Youtube channel here in the next couple of weeks. But the body is UV Chewy skin (brown) with wire ribbing. The thorax is part Senyo laser dubbing with hun feather legs and then the bead is the other part of the thorax. Skinny skin with holographic tinsel for the wing case and then finished off with more dubbing around the 50 lb mono eyes. Fun ties...

[Mickalo 0]

Curtis would happen to have pattern/material list for that Damsebaetis fly? That looks like a real killer for gills.

 

I'll have a tutorial for it on my Youtube channel here in the next couple of weeks. But the body is UV Chewy skin (brown) with wire ribbing. The thorax is part Senyo laser dubbing with hun feather legs and then the bead is the other part of the thorax. Skinny skin with holographic tinsel for the wing case and then finished off with more dubbing around the 50 lb mono eyes. Fun ties...

 

Great I'll have to check that out when you post it. I've been meaning to try out this Chewy skin heard some good things about it. Now I might have a reason to try it out

 

Mike

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

Brian my terminator nymph has been slaying the gills through the ice all winter long

[perchjerker 0]

As someone trained in aquatic fisheries, I would like to make one broad generic statement in response to the question: Any fly you have in your "trout" boxes will take bluegill,or any other sunfish, or bream if you prefer; or panfish, if that term floats your boat.

 

The basis for this lies in the fact that the very same aquatic insect groups that frequent 'trout' waters, mayflies, caddis flies and stoneflies, also frequent sunfish waters. The species may be different, but the bugs, as generic groups, are the same! And these groups have the same larval (Nymphal) stages in warm water that they do in cold water!

 

These same sunfish waters are also home to snails, scuds, sowbugs, leeches, crayfish, damsel flies, dragon flies, worms of various kinds, caterpillars, insect larvae (mosquitoes), beetles, bees, wasps, ants, etc., ad infinitum et ad nauseum, all of which serve as fodder for the sunfish.

 

A #16-18 mosquito pattern will slay them late of a spring/summer evening, particularly when you see them dimpling the surface feeding; as well as the ubiquitous popping bug. These fish can provide some fantastic dry fly fishing, if you are willing to tie one on. Popping bugs aren't the only thing that works for surface action!

 

perchjerker

[Mickalo 0]

Thanks perchjerker this is really great information. Having no "trout" waters in my area this is very good to know.

 

Mike

[Iowaflyguy 0]

 

 

Another place on line for 'gill patterns is the warm water fly tyer.

His black lace Mcginty is killer. For top water you can find a yellow

foam spider on line that is cheap, easy to tie, and very effective.

I love to catch them on top but it is my experience that the ones

on the surface are usually the smaller ones.

Just my $.02 worth.

[Mickalo 0]

Another place on line for 'gill patterns is the warm water fly tyer.

His black lace Mcginty is killer. For top water you can find a yellow

foam spider on line that is cheap, easy to tie, and very effective.

I love to catch them on top but it is my experience that the ones

on the surface are usually the smaller ones.

Just my $.02 worth.

 

your right about the WarmWater Fly tyer site some of my first patterns I tried came from that site and worked great for our local ponds & small lakes. I'll have to try out that McGinty almost looks like a bumblebee.

 

Thx's

Mike