Flies That Work for Catching a Bluegill

Fishermen are constantly looking for that extra "edge" that will land a lot of fish. If you fly fish for bluegill, it's important to understand the fish, such as its feeding habits. You know you have a Bluegill by its blue gillflap; the males have an orange belly and the females have a yellowish belly. Bluegill can grow to nearly 5 lbs. There are several flies that you can use to catch bluegills, assuring a good seafood meal at the end of the day.

  1. Size of Hook

    • The size of the hook is all important. You do not want too large a hook, since bluegill will shy away from a predator-looking fly. Joe Schwartz, fisheries supervisor of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, states that since bluegill have small mouths, a number 6 to number 8 hook works best.

    Type of Fly

    • Schwartz further stated that a bluegill's natural food is insects that float on the surface. These would include "skate bugs" or mosquito larvae. Your fly has to duplicate a small insect floating on the surface. A variety of commercially available flies can be found at any sporting goods shop. If you are unhappy with commercially available flies, you can tie your own. Experienced flymaker and instructor Al Campbell of "Fly Anglers Online" freely distributes fly tying lessons to the general public.

    Movement in Water

    • Having a fly that looks like a small insect is not enough. When you fish, the fly's movement in the water has to duplicate the natural movement of an insect. You duplicate the movement by flicking the rod so the fly looks like it's swimming across the surface. This takes practice, since too feeble or too aggressive of a "swim" will not fool the bluegill into thinking it's an insect. Look at how an insect moves across the surface of the water, and try to duplicate its movements.

    Bait Factors

    • Bait is all important as well. Small bits of bait work best, according to "BobberStop." This relates back to a bluegill having a small mouth. "Bobberstop" further recommends live bait. Earthworms, nightcrawlers, waxworms and mealworms are all good baits. "Bobberstop" states the only criteria is to keep the bait small, so use only a little bit of it to conceal the hook.