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bluegill576

Panfish Dry Flies

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I've always heard of people using dry flies for panfish, but I have been skeptical it seems like the little guys like larger buggier flies. If any of you guys fish for panfish with dry flies then tell me why you use them and what patterns you use.

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I've had lots of luck with variations of the elk hair caddis and x-caddis dry patterns on our local ponds, gills and crappies, they luv'em. It's basically a surface fly but a tad smaller. I've tied them in size 10's and 12's.

 

If they're feeding on the surface believe me they'll probably hit most any dry fly pattern.

 

Mike

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foam flies are usually more visible and durable then dry flies but it all depends on what's working for you, personal preferences, type of waters your fishing. Experiment with them and see what works. It's a real kick though catching those gills on a dry fly. :)

 

Mike

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Not sure what you mean by 'conform'. I guess if you mean conform to highbrow stereotypical flyfishing, you could use a bwo, mosquito, or something similar.

 

I'm not really one to conform to that. On the rare occasion I use surface flies for panfish, I'll use poppers, foam beetles, I've got a beetle made out of a coffee bean, sometimes a caddis pattern. Use what you want until you find what the fish want. Mike is right, though. Most times if they are hitting on the surface, they'll hit about anything that gets dropped on the water. It's one of those instances that proves we often over tie as fish will often bight any bit of crap on a hook.

 

Deeky

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they love tiny little dry flies like midges and ants. caddis is also my best producer. It's fun to tie up weird looking dry flies for them that don't imitate anything. One I make looks kinda like a cranefly, but is bright orange and has rubber legs. they really will eat anything. I'm convinced if they had bigger teeth it would not be safe to swim around them...they'd devour you like a pirhana. also try a dry with a small nymph dropper.

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I've found that Humpys tied in size 12 are like Bluegill cocaine. Hold on tight though. Bass like them pretty well too. :headbang:

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It's one of those instances that proves we often over tie as fish will often bight any bit of crap on a hook.

 

Agreed!

 

I've tried most things at one time or another. To me, dry flies are too much trouble, although they certainly will work for most sunfish species if that's what you like.

 

I prefer poppers or something made with foam, because they float better & are more durable.

 

However, I agree with flymanaj, tiny deerhair bugs & dries like Humpy's and Irresistables can be fun sometimes. Still, I rarely use anything smaller than a size 8.

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OK thanks for all of the info guys, i'll have to try some out the next time I go fishing at a pond or something.

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Guest rich mc

i have a rule for my fishing in illinois , nothing under size10 even for gills otherwise you haveeto dig the hooks out of them. when i first started i used humphies in red, green and orange. problem i had was they would rushup and actually push them out of they way with their wake. if i did hook them i would hook them on the cheek below their eye.a slim ant on a light wire hook works better. i plan to try a san juan worm that has floatant on the front half this spring . rich mc

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They will hit dries, no doubt, I catch a lot of them on hoppers and caddis dries...but you have been warned here: all of your trout dries will get destroyed by bluegills! They are rough on hackled dry flies, in my experience.

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They will hit dries, no doubt, I catch a lot of them on hoppers and caddis dries...but you have been warned here: all of your trout dries will get destroyed by bluegills! They are rough on hackled dry flies, in my experience.

 

good point. that's why I learned to use hair hackle technique instead of feather hackles seem to hold a bit better in most cases. I like to tie a "all woodchuck" caddis by Grant Ings and he uses woodchuck guard hairs, with little under fur, in a dubbing loop to create the "hackle" at the head of the fly. Seem to work quiet nicely .... in most cases ;)

 

Mike

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I caught 20 bluegill in about an hour Saturday evening on what I call a Black Gnat tied with grizzly hackle and a red tail - size 12. Many were small but I would expect that this time of year. In a month, that fly will be a size 10 and catching 50-60 hand size to 1lbs bluegills and shellcrackers. It works great fished tandem behind a popper too. I have caught two at once that way - one on the gnat and one on the popper.

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I like to use them because its fun. Watching those little devils crush your dry is great. Ants and beetles are good as well as caddis. But to be honest, ANY fly will work on them. I recommend foam because it holds up and keeps floating.

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