Bluegill on the fly

[JimDog]

I had a couple of hours free yesterday evening, so I decided to hit a nearby pond just to unwind a bit from a long week.  I had a spinning rod with a 2" floating Rapala.  I don't think there was a single cast where I didn't get a strike. It would get eaten immediately after hitting the water, or after a twitch or two.  Some nice bass, a few crappie, and a whole bunch of huge bluegill.

I am going back tonight, but this time with the fly rod.  What do you recommend as a top water fly for bluegill.  I have a bunch of cork poppers.  What else do you throw at em?  I have only targeted bluegill with a fly rod a couple of times, and I always used something that slowly sank, and they would take it sub-surface.  I really like watching them explode on the surface.

[Ryan Miloshewski]

A popper with a small marabou jig dropper was killing it for me this past weekend. 

Anything really leggy bluegill seem to take to very well. 

[fishinwrench]

Foam spiders in a size #10 are a staple. 

Something about the way they "plop" down.    Typically you don't even need to twitch or animate it at all.   Just throw it in there and wait about 10 seconds. 

[Greasy B]

I like to throw bright colored spiders as well, the bright color is for me to watch, I doubt the fish care.  I use poppers to search for fish and during the last hour of daylight. 

[Foghorn]

A size #10 tan hopper worked this morning for Susie and I on little brother's pond. Think we totaled 55-60 bluegill and 5 bass before it started getting hot.

[jdmidwest]

I always loved the Round Dinny in Chartruse and many of the Betts poppers.  Sometimes a white or yellow, but mostly Chartruse

San Juan worms are great for the bedding ones.  They don't want to go up when they are on the beds to topwater.