summer bluegill

[drew03cmc]

Any tips for catching gills during the hottest part of the year from ponds? I am going this evening near dusk, and am excited to catch some gills on the new 4wt.

[Danoinark]

I think you are already doing what I would consider the best summertime tip...go during the early or late part of the day. They tend to be in a bit shallower water as the sun starts going down..I love little poppin bugs and gills.....Dano

[drew03cmc]

Foam spiders, maybe with a SJ worm under them....hehe...fun stuff!

[gonefishin]

Sounds to me like you are on the game plan. Evening and mornings are best this time of year. Popping bugs work but don't forget something that will sink too. Small woolly worms and buggers work well. Black, yellow, red, chartreuse.

I have never tried one or jOrObs streamers but I am betting they would be real bluegill killers.

[drew03cmc]

Woolly worms? Nice, I have a box full!

[Thom]

Drew and other gillers:

If you want a good read check out or buy the paperback "Bluegill...fly fishing and flies" by Terry and Roxanne Wilson. The foreward by Dave Whitlock will whet your fancy enough to buy the book.

It has excellent content with fly recipes and color illustrations.

Covers many aspects of gilling from seasons, habitat, flies, and methods. The final chapter is an array of stories to sum up your appetite.

Bluegill fishing is what really got me hooked on fishing as a young boy in Illinois mine country. My uncle gave me an old bamboo mail order fly rod which I used on a mine pond catching slab bluegill from the cattails. An occasional 2# bass on the six legged popper teased from the bank to the deeper water was an added plus.

[gonefishin]

I have a fly tying book I bought several years ago. It has some really elaborate bluegill patterns in it. Over the years I tied (actually tried to tie) several of them but I found for bluegill generally the simple patterns are better for me.

[drew03cmc]

I own that book! I ended up with 25 gills 5-7", and three bass 6". Not a bad night, but on this particular pond, there is no wading, no swimming, no boating, and I cannot get to the best gill structure, so I figure I did ok. I caught them all on a Chernobyl ant #8 and a #10 black spider with yellow legs. They were absolutely smashing the spider, some even knocking it six inches out of the water. So, if you have any more ideas, let me know! Thanks.

[drew03cmc]

I went out again tonight! Again used the 8' 4wt and threw brown woolly worms, black and white spiders, black nosed dace, black gnat wet flies in a #10, and black and yellow spiders. I caught some 8" bass tonight that were VERY aggressive, plenty of gills again between 4-6", nothing very big.

[Zach Bearden]

Can I go there w/ you?!?!?! hehe