As a general rule of thumb flies for bluegills and other panfish can be very simple. As a fly tier I violate this rule every chance I get. I have a tendency to tie patterns with far more detail than is needed. In other words, my flies are tied more for the fisherman than the fish. Is there anything wrong with that? Of course not! I enjoy fly tying almost as much as the fishing so a little extra time spent at the bench is enjoyable.
In the fly fishing guide business (fly fishing panfish guides are few and far between), there are patterns known as guide flies. These flies are usually closely guarded secrets. The patterns are usually quick and easy to tie, with the fish attracting attributes reduced to their absolute minimum. The reasoning behind such flies is the guide needs to spend his time on the water and not at the bench. As a result guide flies are simple, quick to tie, and absolutely deadly in their fish catching ability.
My favorite guide style flies. (click photo for recipes)
In the panfish world, I have fished the same fly until it has been reduced to nothing but a few winds of thread on a bare hook and it still caught fish. In fact it is quite easy to catch panfish on a bare hook if the proper action is applied to it in the water. That being the case, why bother tying complicate or ornate flies? For me the answer is clear, I enjoy the art of fly tying and tend to put a lot of details in my patterns. Time is not an issue, because I tie for enjoyment not because I have to. It simply comes down to a matter of choice.
This well chewed fly is still catching fish like crazy! Is tying intricate patterns a waste of time?
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