Panfish On The Fly

Warm water fly fishing

[panfishonthefly]

Presentation: Panfish On The Fly - Delaware Valley Fly Fishers

I will be giving a presentation titled Panfish On The Fly to the Delaware Valley Fly Fishers. DVFF is a non-profit conservation and educational organization affiliated with Fly Fishers International, promoting the sport of fly fishing and fly tying. Guests are always welcome at their regular meetings and workshops!

Doors open at 6:00pm and the meeting starts at 7:00pm. My presentation will begin after a short business meeting.

[panfishonthefly]

The Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival

It’s show season! Fly fishing show season that is. During the winter months you can find fly fishing and fly tying shows all around the country. Some are small and some like the Edison, New Jersey and Denver, Colorado Fly Fishing Shows are HUGE! These two shows are so big it really takes more than one day to see it all.

My first show of the year is also one of my favorites. It is the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival in Doswell, Virginia. This show combines fly fishing with wine, beer and spirit tastings. What could be better than that! One of the reasons this show is one of my favorites is that the attendees always seem to be in a great mood (it may have something to do with all of the wine, beers and spirits being sampled!). As we move through the winter months I will be in a different part of the country almost every weekend attending various fly fishing and fly tying shows. You can check out the Calendar of Events page to see the other shows I will be tying at.

At this show I will be sharing a table with good friend and fellow guide and fly tier Fritz Miller. While my side of the table will be turning out flies for some of the smallest fish we chase with a fly rod, Fritz will likely be spinning up some foot long musky flies! He is one of the best “predator fly” fly tiers in the game today. As usual we will be joined by Harry, one of the best behaved dogs I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. If you plan on attending this event please stop by our table and say hello!

The show takes place on Friday January 9 & 10th (Friday & Saturday) at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia. This is a family and dog friendly event that focuses on learning the quiet sport of fly fishing. There will be lectures and presentations, casting instruction and some of the country’s best fly tiers on hand showing off their skills behind the vise. How I got mixed up with this crowd I’ll never know!

To learn more about this show click the button below.

[panfishonthefly]

Red Butt House Fly

The Red Butt House Fly is a floating pattern that can imitate a wide range of terrestrial insects. The pattern is a spinoff of a trout fly I tied to imitate the common green bottle fly. The original pattern for trout fishing lacked the crystal flash tail and was tied smaller on a size 14 hook. It was a good late-season searching pattern when trout were accustomed to feeding on various terrestrial insects. The fly also served as a good imitation of the deer fly, a biting pest found in damp, wooded, or wetland environments such as marshes, ponds, and streams in many locations. On some waters I can add a hundred bodies of this scourge of an insect to the water in a day's fishing as I continually swat at them as they try to bite me! I'm sure some of those dead flies end up in a fish's stomach.

The Panfish Version

The panfish version was tied on a larger size 12 hook (smaller and larger versions will also work) and included the addition of a short crystal flash tail for a little extra bling and movement when fished on still waters. Panfish show a distinct preference for the larger, dressed-up version. These insects often have distinctly colored red or burgundy eyes, so I added them. The red foam eyes on the fly may be overkill, so feel free to omit them. Color and contrast can make a difference in certain conditions. I can't say it makes this fly any more productive, but I go the extra yard by tying it with red thread and adding the red foam eyes. If you believe hot spots trigger a fish to take a fly, experiment with any color you like, or go with black thread and omit the eyes to create a strong silhouette.

The Fly That Saved The Day

This fly once saved what would have been a fruitless day on the water on one of my trout-guiding trips a few years back. It was a very chilly fall morning, and the fishing was off. A few fish were rising to the odd midge, but I like to keep things simple on guide trips, and size 24 flies on 7x tippet seemed like a bit much for the beginner angler I was working with. However, the nymphs and streamers I fish on these waters were not producing as usual.

The occasional rise of a fish had my client itching to catch a fish. So I had him reel in and took the rod from him to re-rig with a fine leader and small midge pattern. As I was doing this, I noticed bits of what appeared to be hay or straw floating downstream. Whenever some straw passed downstream, the fish began to feed on the surface in earnest, and then it would subside until more straw floated by. I studied the water's surface to identify what the fish were feeding on. When another batch of straw floated by, I observed a dark speck on the water. Following the speck downstream, I watched a nice trout rise confidently and eat it.

I caught the next speck floating downstream and was surprised to find a dead common house fly in my hand. I reached for my sling bag to grab my terrestrial box, only to remember that I had removed it and replaced it with another midge box a few weeks earlier after the first killing frost.

I dug through several fly boxes for an appropriate imitation but came up empty. While putting away my last box, I noticed a mangled green fly stuck in the drying patch on my sling bag among the dozens of other flies residing there. I plucked it from the drying patch and figured, "What the hell, it's worth a try."

The fly was the Red Butt House Fly. I don't recall how or when this fly found its way onto my trout bag, but there it was. I quickly opened my Leatherman tool and used the scissors to snip away the crystal flash tail. The fly was larger than the bugs the fish were feeding on, but it was our only option.

I cut back that long 7x leader to a shorter one that probably terminated at around 5x. I then tied on the fly and returned the rod to my client. A fish rose to the fly on his first cast, but he set too soon and missed the fish. After a brief coaching session, he was at it again, and a few casts later, another fish rose to the fly. He set the hook perfectly this time and landed a nice rainbow trout. We fished that fly all morning, getting interest from almost every fish it passed. Many rejected the pattern due to its larger size, but there were enough less discriminating fish to save the day. The fishing abruptly stopped when a big trout grabbed the fly and was lost during the fight, taking the fly with him.

What took place that day is still a mystery. Just upstream of where we were fishing was a horse farm. The evidence of the bits of straw in the water indicated that there was some stall cleaning going on, and maybe the wind was carrying some of the debris to the water, and along with the straw were the flies either killed or stunned by the cold. There did not appear to be enough straw to indicate that somebody was deliberately dumping it in the river, so I could not say what was happening upstream.

Notes On Tying the Red Butt House Fly

I have a general rule that every fly pattern allows for substitutions of materials. Maybe you don't have a particular material on hand, or you have an idea to improve the pattern for your fishing needs. Always feel free to do so. Working in a fly shop, I encounter many tiers unwilling to swap out material just because a fly pattern calls for obscure or hard-to-find material. In the case of this pattern, for example, maybe an orange or yellow butt house fly is more to your liking. I added the crystal flash tail to add movement and contrast to the pattern, so if you have a color that you feel is more productive on your waters, go for it. The same goes for foam. If you don't have iridescent green-backed foam, use black, as the fish don't see the top of the fly. That material was chosen more for the fisherman than the fish.

The original trout version had an underbody of peacock herl, a delicate material. When I tie flies for panfish, I try to make them as robust as possible so they can withstand dozens of fish before wearing out. That is why I opted for a more durable synthetic herl or other synthetic body material. A list of some alternatives can be found in the pattern recipe below.

Since the pattern serves double duty as a general terrestrial insect imitation, you can change the foam color to whatever suits your needs. Tie the pattern in natural hues or bright attractor colors; I have found them all effective.

The Antron wing is a visual reference for the angler to keep track of the fly on the water's surface. While I use a cream-colored wing, feel free to make substitutions here. A hi-viz wing of yellow or orange can make the fly more visible in low-light conditions, and a wing of solid black gives the fly a good silhouette in high-glare situations.

The point here is to feel free to experiment and have fun behind the vise!

Pattern Recipe:

Hook: Standard Dry Fly size 12 ( feel free to tie the fly larger or smaller)

Thread: Red 6/0 Semperfli Classic Waxed

Tail: Red Crystal Flash trimmed to the width of the hook gap (omit on trout version)

Body: Peacock Green Loco Foam

Underbody: Semperfli Synthetic peacock herl, Semperfli Micro Fritz or Semperfli Straggle legs

Wing: Cream or other colored Antron trimmed to a length that reaches half of the tail

Eyes: Red Chicone's Fettuccine Foam

Hackle: Appropriately sized Grizzly dry fly hackle trimmed flush with the bottom

[panfishonthefly]

The SMHAEN Thread Splitter

Splitting a single-ply thread into two strands to allow space for materials such as deer hair, hackle barbs, and dubbing to be twisted into the thread has always been tricky business. However, it is often worth the effort, especially on smaller flies where a traditional dubbing loop may add too much bulk.

Splitting thread is usually done with a very pointy, thin needle. You need the steady hands of a surgeon to hit the thread just right to split the strands evenly. The thinner the thread, the harder it is to complete this maneuver! Once the thread is split, your materials are inserted between the thread fibers in the split you created. Then, you spin the bobbin, which tightens the thread around the materials, ultimately twisting them in a manner similar to a dubbing loop.

With a SMHAEN thread splitter, the hassles associated with splitting thread disappear. The tool works equally well with thick or thin thread. The innovative design of the SMHAEN thread splitter will easily split any single-ply linear fiber thread. Threads made by Semperfli, UTC, Danville, etc., are all in this category. The thread splitter’s handle is flat on one side to keep it from rolling off the table, and its bright orange handle will make it easy to find on a cluttered fly tying desk.

How It Works

SMHAEN has a series of photographs on their website (which I have borrowed here) that do great job explain how the tool works.

Step One: Flatten the thread by running the shaft of the needle along it allowing the bobbin to spin freely.

Step Two: Slide the thread to the knob at the end of the needle and allow the small edge of the knob to grip the individual fibers.

Step Three: Pull back slightly to allow the fibers to separate, then push the round knob through to split the thread into two strands.

Step Four: Open the split as long as you need and insert the materials (hackle fibers, hair, dubbing etc.) you wish to dub on the hook. Then spin your bobbin to tighten the thread around the materials and twist them into a dubbing rope.

Note: Only single-ply linear fiber threads can be split. For example: Uni Thread is made from slighty bonded, continuous polyester filaments, and therefore can’t be split

Are you interested in trying the SMHAEN Thread Splitter? Click the button below for more information.

[panfishonthefly]

Virtual Presentation - Perkiomen Valley Trout Unlimited: Early Season Trout Fishing

I will give a virtual presentation via Zoom on Early-Season Trout Fishing to the Perkiomen Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter on February 24, 2025.

Early Season Trout Fishing

As winter transitions into spring, early season trout fishing presents a unique opportunity for anglers. The shift in weather and water conditions triggers changes in trout behavior, creating an ideal environment for those prepared with the right techniques and gear. The melting snow and rising water levels make this a critical time to adapt your approach, from selecting appropriate flies to understanding feeding patterns in cooler waters. By leveraging the seasonal changes, anglers can effectively target trout and achieve consistent results. Prepare for the challenges and rewards of early season fishing. Equip yourself with the knowledge and tools needed to make the most of this productive time on the water. 

[panfishonthefly]

Sow Bug Roundup

I will be attending The Sow Bug Round Up in Mountain Home, Arkansas, as a featured fly tier. I will demonstrate during the morning session of each day of the event.

This annual show in Mountain Home, AR is centered in one of the greatest fly-fishing areas of the world. The White and Norfork Rivers provide a backdrop for anglers visiting the show. The show boasts 150 expert fly tyers, over 20 vendors, daily new auctions and raffles, free seminars, free fly-tying classes, and free casting lessons. The entry fee is only $10 for all three days, and if an adult is accompanied by a child, they are admitted free. One of the goals of the Sowbug is to encourage people of all ages to enjoy fly fishing. We even have a special free raffle for kids, where everyone wins! The Sowbug Roundup is the work of dozens of North Arkansas Fly Fishers members. It is the club's sole fundraiser and provides funds for conservation, education, and philanthropic activities. The first $10,000 of the show’s proceeds goes toward scholarships for students majoring in conservation and/or fisheries careers.

[panfishonthefly]

The Mid-West Fly Fishing Expo

I will be attending the Mid-West Fly Fishing Expo as a presenter and featured fly tier. The event takes place at the Macomb Community College Sports & Expo Center On March 8 & 9. The expo is the Great Lakes area’s premier event for all things fly fishing. The extravaganza, presented for 46 years, is the oldest all-fly angling event east of the Mississippi!

Organized and run exclusively by MFFC volunteers, the show features headline speakers, free seminars about fly fishing skills, techniques, and destinations, fly-tying demonstrations, and more than 100 exhibitors. Exhibitors include outfitters and retailers from across the country, guides, rod and net building artisans, artists, authors, dealers in rare and collectible books and memorabilia, and conservation organizations.

[panfishonthefly]

The Fly Fishing Show - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

I will be attending the Fly Fishing Show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as a featured fly tier. If you're attending this show, please stop by my table and say hello. I look forward to meeting all of you fellow panfish junkies!

[panfishonthefly]

The Fly Fishing Show - Atlanta, Georgia

I will be at the Fly Fishing Show in Atlanta, Georgia, as a featured fly tier. The show takes place in the Gas South Convention Center, in Duluth, GA. If you plan on attending this event, please stop by my table and say hello. I look forward to meeting all of you panfish junkies!

[panfishonthefly]

The Fly Fishing Show - Edison, New Jersey

I will be attending the Fly Fishing Show in Edison, New Jersey, as a featured fly tier. If you're attending this show, please stop by my table and say hello. I look forward to meeting all of you fellow panfish junkies!

The show takes place in New Jersey Convention and Expo Center in Edison, New Jersey. This show is one of the largest fly fishing shows in the world and is one you will not want to miss!

[panfishonthefly]

The Fly Fishing Show - Marlborough, Massachusetts

I will be at the Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough, Massachusetts, as a featured fly tier. The show takes place in the Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center. If you plan on attending this event, please stop by my table and say hello. I look forward to meeting all of you panfish junkies!

[panfishonthefly]

The Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival

My first fly fishing show of 2025 will be the Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival in Doswell, VA on January 10 & 11. This is one of my favorite events, as I get to meet many panfish fans and tie my favorite fly patterns. Please visit my booth and say hello.

The festival features wine, craft beer, and everything you want to learn about fly fishing. It hosts many fly tiers, vendors, demonstrations, and classes. It's the largest event of its kind in the U.S., attracting anglers from New York to Georgia, suitable for all ages and skill levels. Attendees can listen to expert talks and practice skills at this family-friendly event. Wineries, breweries, and distilleries from Virginia provide free tastings for those 21 and older.

[panfishonthefly]

Presentation: Get Off The Bank - South Jersey Coastal Fly Anglers

I will be giving a presentation on fly fishing from kayaks, float tubes, and other portable watercraft for the South Jersey Coastal Fly Anglers on Thursday, October 17, 2024.

There is no need to hang up your fly rod or travel to remote destinations once the water gets too warm to fish for trout.  Warm water and saltwater fly fishing offers fantastic fly fishing opportunities.  The downside is accessing these fisheries is not as easy as wading a trout stream.  Shorelines of lakes and ponds are often choked with vegetation, making casting difficult.  Fish are often just outside of casting range when fishing in the salt.  A  kayak or float tube can solve all of these problems. Modern fishing kayaks, float tubes, and pontoon boats are stable, comfortable, and easily transportable. This presentation will cover all the ins and outs of fishing from a kayak, as well as recommendations and tips for rigging the perfect fly-fishing watercraft.  

The meeting will take place on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at the Ocean City Senior Center, Ocean City Community Building, Located at the corner 18th and Simpson Ave in Ocean City, NJ.  The doors open at 7:00 pm and the presentation will begin after a short business meeting.

[panfishonthefly]

The Perfect Fly Rod for Panfish

Hands down, the most frequent question I am asked is what is the ideal rod for chasing panfish. Before I answer that question, we need to consider our quarry. Panfish is a term that covers a broad range of fish, including members of the sunfish family, including crappie, rock bass, and warmouth, as well non-sunfish like white and yellow perch, white bass, yellow bass, Rio Grande Cichlids, and several other smaller freshwater fish. While these fish may be on the small side, they are hard fighters that live in a wide range of habitats and eat a wide variety of flies, from tiny midges to big air-resistant poppers and foam or hair bugs.

The perfect panfish fly rod must perform well on a small farm pond or sprawling reservoirs, as well as tiny creeks and big rivers. It should be able to delicately cast a tiny dry fly, as well as handle a sizeable hard-bodied popper. I should be able to handle streamers and nymphs fished on floating and sinking fly lines. That's a tall order for any fly rod, but the ideal panfish rod must be light enough to allow you to appreciate the fight of these diminutive fish.

While I love the fight of scrappy bluegill on an ultralight two or three-weight fly rod, these rods are often too light to handle some of the larger, less aerodynamic flies I enjoy fishing. Casting double fly rigs, something I do quite often, on these light rods can be difficult, especially in windy conditions. As a result, I have settled on four-weight fly rods as my daily driver, although I still fish lighter rods when conditions are right for it.

A fly rod around seven and a half feet in length is ideal for me. It is long enough to make long casts on open water but compact enough to use on small streams or areas with a lot of overhead cover. While the current trend is to make rods stiffer and faster, I prefer slower, softer rods as they fit my casting style. I also like how mid or full-flex rods allow you to appreciate the fight of these smaller fish. A good bluegill will bend this type of rod down to the cork!

Fiberglass, especially modern S-glass rods, fit this bill perfectly. The only downside to these rods has been their ability to cast some of the larger flies I fish or deal with very windy conditions. I have often wished some of my favorite glass rods had a little more backbone in the butt section to deal with wind, big flies and the occasional big bass grabs a fly intended for panfish,

Building The Perfect Panfish Fly Rod

This past January, while attending the Fly Fishing Show as a featured fly tier in Marlborough, Massachusetts, I struck up a conversation with Jordan Ross, the owner of JP Ross Fly Rods. I was introduced to Jordon by good friend and fellow fly tier Fritz Miller, who owned a few JP Ross fly rods. He knew Jordon had a soft spot for panfish and thought we should meet.

During a slow spell at the show, I wandered over to the JP Ross booth to check out some of their fly rods. While speaking with Jordon, it became clear that we had similar tastes in fly rods. I cast a few of his rods and frankly loved them all, but they were similar to other glass rods I already owned. When I mentioned my desire to have a modern, lightweight, s-glass rod that could handle big flies (as well the occasional bass), cast in windy conditions yet still allow me to appreciate the fight of a smaller fish, his eyes lit up. He had a project he was working on that might solve my problems. He developed a fiberglass fly rod called the Toad. What set this rod apart from other glass four and five-weight glass rods on the market today was the fact that this rod was built with a stiffer butt section but retained a traditional feel in the top three sections. Jordon modified the butt section of this rod to make it more stiff and stronger for applications that need a little more backbone in the butt. While doing so, he kept the ferrule design the same; that means the TOAD butt section is interchangeable with their normal S-Glass fly rods.

Jordon handed me a 7 1/2 foot four weight with a Toad butt section, and I headed back to the casting pond. On my first cast, I could immediately feel the difference. That stiffer butt section allowed me to put as much power as I wanted into the cast, and the fly rod responded perfectly, laying out long, accurate casts as well as handling a short line with ease. I was sold.

We discussed collaborating on a rod project during the show, and I agreed without hesitation. Jordon brought in the incredibly talented artist Jeff Kimball to make the rod something special. Jeff Kimball's artwork appears on several of JP Ross's fly rods, and I was very excited to see what he could come up with regarding a panfish-themed rod. The results are breathtakingly beautiful.

In a few months, I had a JP Ross Panfish On The Fly edition fly rod in my hands. While I wanted to start spreading the word about this collaboration immediately, I wanted to put the rod through its paces first to ensure it performed as well as I thought it would. I have tested the fly rod in various fishing situations this past year and I am thoroughly pleased with the results.

Of course, my main objective was to use the rod for panfish. I used the rod at the start of the season, casting delicate midge patterns to early-season panfish. As the season progressed, the rod passed its second test delivering streamers and multiple wet fly rigs to pre-spawn sunfish and crappies. This past summer, the rod flawlessly handled bulky foam bugs, hair bugs, and popper/dropper rigs. Throughout the season, I fished in various conditions ranging from blustery late winter days to windless, sultry summer evenings. The rod cast flies of all sizes and still allowed me to appreciate the fight of smaller fish. As is usually the case, several larger predators were encountered, including a largemouth bass that topped the scales over five pounds. The stiffer butt section on this fly rod allowed me to handle this big fish with confidence.

In addition to my panfishing endeavors, I brought the rod along with me on several trips around the country. I used it to fish for smallmouth bass and landlocked salmon in Maine. While I typically would not use a four-weight in these situations, I wanted to put the new rod to the test, and it performed wonderfully. The fly rod also traveled with me to the mountain west where it felt at home on the small backcountry streams where I fished. I even put it through what I would call a torture test by fishing it on the Madison River, where it successfully landed several rainbow and brown trout over twenty inches. If you have ever fished a big river like the Madison, you know how strong these big trout can be.

After an entire fishing season, the rod has lost that "new" look. The fine cork grip has been darkened with the slime of hundreds of fish, but the artwork on the reel seat and blank still shines as bright as the first time I took the rod out of the tube. I have caught many species of sunfish, crappie, rock bass, large and smallmouth bass, rainbow, brook, and brown trout, landlocked salmon, and even arctic grayling on this rod over the last few months. It has cast everything from delicate spinners to big poppers, and I am happy to say that the rod has exceeded my expectations. I am ready to share it with the world!

If you are interested in a rod for yourself…

The purchaser can customize JP Ross fly rods in several ways. If the artwork I selected does not resonate with you, let Jordan know, and he can discuss other options with you. In addition to the standard reel seat artwork, you can add custom artwork to the blank, the butt cap of the reel seat, and the rod tube. This customization also applies to the grip. If you do not like the tapered half-wells cork grip I selected, you can customize the grip to your liking.

I want to be brutally honest here. Do you need a custom-built fly rod to enjoy fly fishing for panfish? Absolutely not! The motto of JP Ross Fly Rods is "Simply Fish," and that certainly applies here. I often tell folks to fish the rods that you already own. Don't sweat if it is a little too light or a bit too heavy. Just get out, enjoy the great outdoors, and fish. However, if you have been searching for the perfect panfish fly rod, I have one for you to consider. Check out the JP Ross "Panfish on the Fly" edition TOAD 7'6" 4 weight four pc fly rod. If you decide to pick one up, you will not be disappointed!

The rods are available now and can be ordered directly through JP Ross Fly Rods. If you decide to purchase a Panfish On The Fly edition JP Ross Fly Rod, you will support both JP Ross and Panfish On The Fly, as a portion of these sales will go to Panfish On The Fly. Click the button below for more information or purchase a rod.

If you have any questions about this build, don't hesitate to contact me (the button below will take you to my email). I am happy to share my impressions and answer any questions. You can also reach out to Jordan at JP Ross Fly Rods. He can fill you in on the design aspects of the fly rod and discuss any customizations you may be interested in. In addition, Jordan can set you up with a complete outfit, including a rod, reel, and line if desired.

If you decide to pick up a JP Ross Panfish On The Fly edition, please share your thoughts with me! I would love to hear from you.

[panfishonthefly]

Flat Daddy Gurgler

For the past few years, I have had an obscure fly pattern, first developed by British anglers, in my panfish fly box. The fly is called a Flat Daddy and imitates an adult cranefly. While craneflies find their way onto my local panfish lakes and fish do eat them, they are not a common occurrence. I fish the Flat Daddy as a generic, buggy-looking terrestrial pattern. It doesn’t look like anything in particular, and I don’t even think it represents a cranefly that well, although the fish would argue that point! But it has all the right stuff regarding a topwater terrestrial pattern for panfish. It floats in the water instead of on it, is very buggy looking, and the knotted pheasant tail legs and soft hackle collar provide just enough fish-attracting movement. The little bit of flash in the underbody is an attractant as well.

The original Flat Daddy is the perfect fly for spooky, shallow-water panfish. It lands lightly on the water and can be cast easily with two and three-weight rods. The fly has a very subtle action on the water, diving slightly when retrieved without creating a lot of disturbance that may spook fish in the shallows. It is the perfect early spring topwater fly pattern.

Fast-forward to mid-summer, the fish have left the shallows and are now holding in deeper water. You need to get their attention to bring them to the surface now. Enter the Flat Daddy Gurgler. By leaving a foam lip on the pattern, it moves more water when twitched, creating a larger disturbance on the water’s surface. The extra foam increases the fly’s floating ability, but it still sits low in the film, allowing you to hang a wet fly or lightly weighted nymph off the back. The fly retains its lightness and can be cast on any fly rod. If you are an ultralight enthusiast, this fly will cast well on your lightest fly rod.

I tie the fly on a Firehole 839 in sizes 12 and 14. The 839 is a streamer hook with a 3x-long shank and an extra-wide gap. The heavy wire hook makes the fly sit low in the water, providing extra strength when that bass comes along and eats your panfish fly. If you can’t find this hook, a long shank dry or nymph hook will work well for this fly.

You can tie the fly with a simple strip of foam the width of the hook gap and round out the tail with scissors. To streamline the tying process and produce a fly with a more finished appearance, I use a Chernobyl Ant Foam Cutter with a tapered end to create perfectly sized strips of foam with a tapered, rounded end. The fly can be tied in a wide variety of colors, my favorites being tan, olive brown, black, and yellow. I use various colors of dubbing for the underbody with a holographic tinsel rib. The knotted pheasant tail legs look super buggy, and the soft hackle collar adds color and movement to the pattern.

Pattern Recipe:

Hook: Firehole 789 sizes 12 and 14

Thread: Semperfli Classic Waxed 6/0 Red

Tail and Body: Strip of 2mm foam (width of the hook shank/one end rounded)

Rib: Small or medium holographic tinsel

Underbody: Brushed out dubbing in color to compliment or contrast foam body

Legs: Four to six knotted pheasant tail legs

Hackle: Hen or game bird body feather

Tip: Using a tapered-end Chernobyl Ant Body Foam Cutter creates a perfect body for this fly pattern.

Tying Instructions:

1. Lay down a base layer of thread.

2. Tie in a foam strip at the bend. The tail should be a shank length long, with a rounded end hanging off the back of the hook.

3. Tie in holographic tinsel rib.

4. Apply dubbing to thread and wrap forward, stopping a hook eye length from the front of the hook.

5. Brush out dubbed body.

6. Wrap tinsel forward in open turns and tie off.

7. Select four to six knotted pheasant tail legs and tie them equally distributed on each side of the hook.

8. Tie in a body feather from a hen or game bird in the color of your choice and wrap around the hook shank, sweeping fibers rearward with each turn.

9. Fold the foam strip forward and tie it off at the hook eye.

10. Lift the foam strip, build up a small head underneath the foam, and whip finish.

11. Cut the foam strip a short distance from the hook eye to create the gurgler lip.

12. Coat thread wraps with UV Resin or head cement if desired.

[panfishonthefly]

Presentation: NJ Trout Streams - Orvis Princeton

I will give a presentation on New Jersey’s Special Regulation Trout Waters at Orvis in Princeton, NJ, on Saturday, March 9th, 2024. This presentation will be one segment in a three-part program discussing trout fishing opportunities in New Jersey.

[panfishonthefly]

The Fly Fishing Show - Lancaster, Pennslyvania

I will be attending the Fly Fishing Show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as a featured fly tier. If you're attending this show, please stop by my table and say hello. I look forward to meeting all of you fellow panfish junkies!

For more information on the show and advance ticket sales, click on the button below.