Panfish on fly

[Georec]

I wanted to share a fly fishing technique that has been working particularly well recently for bluegill, pumpkinseeds and crappies. In this case, the type of fly is not as important as the presentation. I have used gurglers, poppers, grass hopper patterns, ant patterns, any just about any other dry fly.

Find an area with good cover, that is holding feeding fish. With panfish this usually is in and around weeds or lily pads. gently place the fly into an opening, preferably right where a fish just took something off the surface. Twitch the fly and then leave it still. Count 15 Missippissi's and twitch it again. 15 seconds may seem like a long time, but often it will be 10 or 12 seconds before a strike. Resist the temptation to twitch it too soon.

For some reason, they appear more inclined to attack once the fly has been resting for a while than if it's actively moving. I have found the bigger fish are more inclined to take flies presented in this manner.

Give it a try and good luck, you will be surprised how well this technique works.
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[Brook]

Good tip.

Although bluegill often seem so, they're probably the least aggressive of the sunfishes.

Watch them from underwater and you'll see. Very often they'll fin over towards what they think may be food. Then they'll just sit there, watcing it. Looks like they're trying to decide 1. is it really edible, and 2. is it dangerous.

A little secret: That fly sitting on the water isn't really still. Feather, fur, rubber legs, etc. are all moving minutely due to surface action of the water. It's those tiny movement that tell the fish its alive. After you twitch it, and it sits still gain, that transmits a message "alive and in trouble." And that often triggers hits.

Brook
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[Georec]

Brook - great addition to my post. Thanks. What you say about the minute movements of the fur or rubber legs is why I love using flies so much more than plastics. They just seem to have that more realistic movement. But that's a debate for another thread...
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[Brook]

Somebody else will have to debate it, Georec. I'm a thousand percent in agreement with you.

Btw, that movement is also why a cork or balsa popper with a tail or rubber legs almost always works better than one without.

Brook
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[Illinoisgiller]

Great post. I have used this presentation before, but admit to not leaving it still that long.
I'll be working on this next spring. Thank you! ole Mike
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[Brook]

I do have to chuckle, however, over the idea that 15 seconds is a long time.

Historically, the general instructions for working a popper or other surface bug were to let it sit for a full minute before twitching it again.

That's the sort of thing that sounds good in print. But if anybody has every sat there waiting a full minute before moving a fly they've got a lot more patience than anyone I know.

15 seconds is generally plenty of time, IMO.

Brook
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[windriver]

This technique is exactly what I like to do the most.

Thanks for sharing.

Windriver
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