Fly Fishing For Bluegill
By Rod Petersen
I believe we have all had our fair share of stories when we were younger, running around a lake or pond harassing Bluegill and the rest of his Panfish relatives with nothing more than week-old bread and a cane pole. These memories are always a great reminder that you do not need much gear to go fishing and to enjoy your time in the outdoors.
Recently I have gone back to my old ways of chasing Bluegill with light gear. This time with a flyrod. It does not take much, and I recommend everyone who either enjoys fly fishing or wants to chase Bluegill around a pond again, to give it a try.
For my setup, I am using a 5-weight flyrod. Anything from a 3-weight to a 5-weight will do. For my leader, I have used everything from tying my own mono leader to using pre-made leaders. Luckily for us, the Panfish family is probably the least picky fish species I know besides catfish. There have been times when my leader is clearly visible, and the not-so-starved-looking Bluegill smokes my fly like he has been starving for a week.
As for the flies, my personal favorite is the Betts Pop N’ Hot. Specifically, the glowing ones. This top-water fly acts as both a popping bug and rubber legs. It makes a large wake across the top of the water and gets the attention of the hordes of hungry Bluegill under the surface. I usually find them at Walmart for around two dollars a fly. One fly will last you about 100 takes before the Bluegill tears it to shreds. But if you don’t want to spend the money then realistically any top-water fly will work in this case.
Besides the addition of new flies, this style of fly fishing is no different from that of fly fishing for trout. It is also great practice for fish who tend to be more easily spooked, as this gives you hands-on practice for how to look for fish, how to work an area of water, and how to get a proper hookset.
If you are looking to practice your fly-fishing technique or if you just want to go chasing Bluegill, I hope everyone goes out and gives this a try. It is a fun way to spend an afternoon and I have never regretted a day of catching Bluegill.
