Best Fly for Bluegill ???

[tie one on]

I've been fly fishing a good majority of my 51 years & have flyfished for many types of fish over the years. One of my favorite, even though they are a smaller variety are Bluegills.

I was wondering if any of you have a favorite, or go to fly for these Fightin'
Little Guys" ?

Do you prefer top water, or a fly that acts more like a nymph? Or does it sink down ?

What size hook do you typically us for your fly ?

My father use to tie what he called the "water crickett" even though it in no way looked like a crickett. It had a black chenille body with white rubber legs. Put a couple of maggots on the hook, throw it out carefully & hold on

What time of year do you also typically go after Bluegill ? Spring, Summer, Fall ? Please give me your thoughts.

Always in the Water,

Tie One On

 

[fshfanatic]

I love the "Briminator"

Hook: Mustad 3366 size 8 or 10
Thread: Uni 8 to match dubbing
Eyes: Bead Chain
Tail: Bottom half of a hen feather
Body: Brown Rabbit dubbing, Spirit River Depth advantage dubbing, Lite Bright or Wapsi Super Brite Steelhead dubbing.
Hackle: Front half of hen feather. Speckle Brown or Whiting Blacklace hackle.

It was actually featured in the Winter edition of Southwest Fly Fishing..

This fly slays them!

 

[BigCliff]

I'd say something medium dark with weight at the front with stuff sticking off of it that will move underwater in size 8-14. This could be a rubber legged damsel nymph, rusty squirrel nymph, or even just a fly with a chenille body, rubber legs, and a bead head. Floating beetle patterns can be a lot of fun too, but it will be a while bofore the surface action really heats up.

 

[freeze69]

last year my first year with a fly rod in hand. started tying my own later in the year. i however noticed on all the lakes that i hit that green was the hottest color. i tried to stay with anything that would work about 6in or so under the water. bluegills here in northern in. just killed them. another one that worked was a simple black, yellow, black or green if you don't have yellow on about a #10 hook. couldn't keep enough of them in my small but growing fly box.

 

[BigCliff]

Small buggers are hard to beat too. And don't forget that trout-type dry flies can be killer as well. Panfish eat all the same bugs too!

 

[tie one on]

Mike,

I'm interested in your "Briminator". I'm glad you added the recipe, but do you have a photo of what the fly looks like ?

I do not have access to that magazine you reference since I live in SE Michigan.

Thanks to all for your suggestions/comments on the "best bluegill fly". It seems as though if they are hungery they eat most anything you throw out.

Does anyone ever used "normal" trout flies for bluegill ? If so, what pattern do you typically throw ?

Thanks for all your input,

Always in the water,

Tie One On

 

[fshfanatic]

Here you go! I also tie one in Black without the front hackle in Black with black plastic eyes. My buddy calls it a tadpole and it slays them everywhere I have tried it.

 

[BigCliff]

Lots of trout flies will work. I prefer to use ones that aren't too small since sunfish have such small mouths. Hare's ear nymphs work really well. Foam dry flies are great because they will keep floating after being taken by multiple fish. Damsel nymphs are another great choice, since damsels tend to inhabit stillwaters.

 

[Stan Wright]

Foam spider with rubber legs. Color? What ever is easy for me to see. Our bluegill are few and far between, so we rely on Red Devils. Weighing 1/2 to 3/4 pound they can be very aggressive and hard fighting... now if we could just train them to hit a floating fly.... LOL

Aloha,
Stan

 

[Hairy Clipper]

I usually go out in the spring and summer. Here in southern Minnesota it is hard to beat a McGinty with the red tail cut off. For some reason they are not too hot for it with that red tail on.

Hairy

 

[kayakcruser]

i like many BH nymphs but my favorite is one that i tie myself...... its a foam spider but with a wheighted tail, so the tail sinks but not the fly. i will have to post a picture some time!!!!:icon_lol:

 

[diesel94yj]

I also enjoy bluegill on a fly rod.
when nothing else is biting you can always get atleast a few bluegills.
i find that they will hit just about anything.
bright collored drys work very well here..
when i certan that my day of bass fishing is not producing.
ill switch to a shure fire blugil fly..
just sit down and be artistic..
if its a fl7y you would never show your friends because of all the outa scheme crazy bright collores.
thats the winner

 

[JohnG]

A smiliar fly to the Brimigator is a Gill Buster that is very effective for BG and many other warmwater species. Use a #10 hook, tie an hourglass or beadchain on Clouser style, then tie a piece of zonker strip over the weight and back to the hook point. You'd leave a bit of a tail. My favorite color is black, with yellow second for BG. Tied in white works very well for river walleyes. JGW

 

[rdf1212]

the briminator looks like it would work well for bass to. What type of water do bluegill stay in? Do they follow bass patterns?

 

[Jakeway]

Depends a-on the part of the country, but generally they spawn in shallow water in Spring, then slowly go deeper later in the summer. I like to find them along the deep edges of weed beds. When they;re much deeper than 10 feet, it's tougher to get them on a fly rod without sinking lines.

You can always find some in shallows along shade trees and docks, but they tend to be smaller fish in warmer summer months.

I don't know where they are in the fall; I'm usually deer hunting then. (gotta get some tails for bucktail flies.

 

[EastTexas]

Anything they can get into there little mouth... Black or White Flies works for me 8}

 

[Don]

For river blue gills, I find that the best fly is a hard bodied black ant with a red spot on the back of the abdomen. Don't know why but fished like a nymph along structure like weed beds or bridge pilings it always seems to work. If you don't tie, you can get them at Wal-Mart in a blister pack. Don

 

[HotShot]

Best Bream Fly: # 1 for me is top water! I love popping bugs, spiders, deer hair bugs, divers.
#2 Slow sinking flies: Black Gnat, Wooly bugger, McGinty, streamers.:icon_lol:
#3 Fast sinking flies: Clouser, bead head wooly bugger, Cats whisker, etc. :icon_cool
Keep your line wet!!!! I have trouble catching fish in ye ol' pasture.
In His Love,
Clyde

 

[xjguy07]

at my grand parents pond i can usually get away with any surface fly but mainly use ant patterns or adams. they seem to work the best, i have cought a few monsters useing wooly buggers and baby rainbow trout look alike streamers while casting for bass. i've found that the ones their are most active right after summer is comming to an end, such as late september and august.

 

[cliftz]

While I've had them on numerous sizes and types of flies...The hare's ear
seems most consistant on my lakes. Blue gills and pumpkin seeds on
light rod ... love the way they turn side-ways when they bury themselves...