I continued to wade out until the water threatened to come over the top of my waders. Once in position, I stripped off some fly line to make my first cast. Tied to the end of my tippet was a size 8 Royal Coachman Wet Fly. Winged wet flies were once popular amongst trout fishers but have seemed to fall from grace, replaced by more modern offerings.
Read moreFly Tying Friday - The Triangle Bug 2.0
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you are probably familiar with my most well-known fly, the Triangle Bug. I developed Triangle Bug many years ago to solve a problem which plaques fly fishers who target panfish.
Read moreFly Tying Friday - John Gooderham's WHATZIT
Before discussing this week's fly pattern, let me introduce John Gooderham. John is a talented fly tyer on the Semperfli Pro Team of fly tiers, so it should come as no surprise that this week's fly pattern is made entirely of Semperfli materials.
I was immediately attracted to the WHAZIT because it is a buggy-looking nymph pattern that is sure to be a killer panfish pattern. I first learned about this pattern last fall and have tied up many of them, but they are yet untested. I anxiously await the coming of spring to correct that! However, John has tested this pattern extensively on both warm and cold water species, and it has produced well for him. Here is what John has to say about the fly.
The Whatzit is a fly born of necessity. I was looking to design a simple fly to catch multiple species and suggest a wide variety of insect larvae, scuds, or other subsurface food sources. The fly itself isnʼt so much of a pattern as it is a "style" of fly. My concept follows the "same from any angle" approach knowing that the suggestive flies often out-produce the detailed imitations. The great advantage is that the Whatzit can be tied in a variety of colors, sizes, and combinations. For example, the very first prototypes were done with a peacock herl body with wire ribbing. Iʼve since switched to the SEMPERFLI Dirty Bug Yarn for all the bodies for durability and reliable color renditions. Peacock herl can be dyed with the same materials and look completely different - it also does not respond well to Bluegill abuse or Trout teeth. DBY is available in a wide color range, can take lots of punishment, and is easy to work with. For all these reasons, the Whatzit is a winner (just look at the fish photos from the first day), but most importantly is the ability to fish this fly in so many different ways. You can keep the fly on your tippet and try several presentations until you find a productive one. Cast it slightly upstream and allow to dead drift to depth, swing as a traditional wet, retrieve with slow strips, and/or use a Sawyer "induced take" action. Just donʼt look away before your drift is complete! Enjoy this pattern, and Iʼll see you on the stream!
John Gooderham
Pattern Recipe:
Hook: #14 or #12 Scud style wet fly
Thread: Semperfli 12/0 NanoSilk colors optional
Abdomen: Semperfli Dirty Bug Yarn
Rib: Semperfli Tying Wire 0.2mm
Thorax: Semperfli Straggle Legs
Tying Instructions:
As always the materials to tie this versatile pattern can be found in our shop! Please consider supporting us the next time you need to purchase materials for your fly tying endeavors!
Fly Tying Friday - The Micro Frog
I fish a lot of tiny frog patterns for panfish. We have a few minuscule aquatic frogs in my neck of the woods that range in size from 1/2 inch to 2 1/2 inches long. I am sure that these smaller sized frogs find their way into a big bluegill's stomach on occasion.
Read moreFly Tying Friday - The Killer Bee
Bee patterns and panfish go together. There are scores of panfish patterns that wear the classic black and yellow color scheme. From the classic McGinty, which happens to be my favorite winged wet fly for panfish, to the Jitterbee nymph, as well as scores of topwater patterns, they all resemble the classic black and yellow bee.
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