Fly Tying Friday - The Shimmy Cricket

February 14, 2020 Panfish On The Fly

The Shimmy Cricket will dive when retrieved and pop back up to the surface with a shimmy!

The fly pattern for this week’s fly fishing post was submitted by Martin Burch a member of the Panfish On The Fly Facebook Group. The fly is called the Shimmy Cricket. The Shimmy Cricket is a topwater foam bug that is easy to tie and has great action on the water. When tied correctly, the fly will dive under the surface when stripped, with a tight wiggling action.

The Rabbit Strip Zonker

February 9, 2020 Panfish On The Fly

The Chartreuse Rabbit Strip Zonker - A favorite warm water streamer of mine.

One of my favorite trout streamers is a simple rabbit strip zonker. This versatile streamer has also found a home in my warm water fly boxes. In late winter/early spring, when crappies first start to get active in my area, this is a go-to pattern for me. I also have caught quite a few bass and pickerel on these flies, not to mention the occasional slab bluegill.

Double Duty Nymphs for Panfish and Bass

January 6, 2020 Panfish On The Fly

Although you can catch big bluegills on the surface. You will often catch more (and bigger) fish with a nymph!

As much as I like the take of a chunky bluegill as it slurps a fly off the surface, I know that if I want to catch more and, likely larger, fish, I need to fish beneath the surface. There is no question that nymphs and wet flies account for more fish and, in my experience, larger panfish. Although my favorite way to fish below the surface is with wet flies, I am often found with a nymph of one sort of another tied to the end of my line.

Resin Bodied Wet Flies Part II

December 27, 2019 Panfish On The Fly

UV Resin Bodied Soft Hackles are killer flies for all species of panfish.

I received numerous requests for additional information about the Resin Bodied Wet Flies I wrote about in my last blog post. I thought I would do a follow-up post explaining how I tie these patterns and share some of my favorite tying recipes.

Epoxy/Resin Bodied Wet Flies

December 20, 2019 Panfish On The Fly

One of the great things about fly fishing for bluegills and other panfish is that you often have the opportunity to catch a lot of fish. Catching a dozen or more fish on a single flies has a tendency to wear them out pretty quick. It is an excellent problem to have if you are a fly tier because now you have a reason to tie more flies! That being said, I am always looking for a way to make flies more durable.