# bluegill buggers



## iaff313 (Jun 13, 2014)

I enjoy fishing gills on fly rod, partially cause easy to catch buy also can catch even in hot months of summer without stressing the fish population too much. Was out local lake other day and had productive day fishing from docks into brush cover and took most on buggers and some poppers I tied. So when had some down time tied up some buggers as my stock was slowly dwindling down. 
Was curious what your favorite / productive color patterns are. I enjoy solid black but have found myself catching quite a few on browns with black hackle, and brighter shades of green with yellow hackle. 


The Browns are tied with craft fur tails as well as craft fur dubbing, the blacks and aquas some with chanille some with dubbing. Still got little touch up to do on few with longer hackle but for most part completed. Beed heads some painted nail polish others just stock. All tails are a marribu or a craft feather. 
Thanks for sharing your patterns and feedback with your favorite buggers. These are tied size 12, 10, 8, 6 and 4. 
Best of luck with your fishing.


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## iaff313 (Jun 13, 2014)

Sorry for double post still trying learn this site.


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## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

fly color depends on water clarity......I like a black bugger with grizzly hackle in a size 8 or 10 ......If you are fishing clear water I like a size 8 or 10 olive or brown or a size 8 or 10 damsel fly nymph with some rubber legs and bead chain eye and a tad of crystal flash in the tail ..... I will as well use a sponge body spider in white or black .....honestly a size 8-10 wooly bugger is all you need for a good day gill fishin ...the woolly Bugger in varies sizes imitates many prey items well ...from damsel fly's nymphs in a 8-12 , size 4-6 add some rubber legs for a good smallie crayfish pattern , to a big size 2 tied with schlappen hackle makes a great scuplin in brown or olive .


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## iaff313 (Jun 13, 2014)

I use 8 and 10 mostly 12 seem get swallowed Lil too much. The 6 and 4 I would only use smallies as well. Seems gill will hit any color anyways so that is lucky for me so I can play with colors. I have heard many use the olive I just don't have those colors at moment hope get some soon. I will tie some gnats too with no tail but only use them when fish finicky as don't tie them much bigger then a 10. 8 seems be my goto size. Last week fished LMR from Clifton mill down through John Bryan and Wooley only thing I had bite on few smallies and few gills. 
Thanks for sharing I new to fly tying so still learning.


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## lorainfly24 (Jun 21, 2014)

My all time favorite in the evenings is a black foam spider with white legs its a blast. plus it makes it real interesting with the 3wt when a big bass explodes on it. those have probably been some of my most enjoyable takes. But when im fishing below the surface I always liked basically anything black and I always did well on a red bead head with electric yellow lite brite for a body and a small wing flash red tail on a 8 or 10 hook.


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## V Fisher (Nov 28, 2009)

Add a gold rib to a black or olive or a black and olive I think they like the gold bead and gold rib


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

What kind of hackle do you guys use for the little buggers? The colored "bugger hackle" at the fly shops always seems too big for these little guys. The fish probably don't care but it looks off to me.


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## V Fisher (Nov 28, 2009)

I use saddle hackle


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## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

on my size 8-10 buggers I just use a grizzly dry fly neck. But When I tie Bugger for small mouth and trout I always use a schlappen hackle . I just prefer the way it looks and it gives a action to the whole fly. The Schlappen Feather has very webby hackle barbs and it makes for a very buggy shaggy looking fly with a lot of motion in the water . Most guys use saddle hackle which is fine but to me looks spare . the only trouble is you can only use the schlappen feather on larger sizes like 2 ,4 and 6 if you select the feather wisely.....they do offer a long schlappen feather but haven't tied with any of those yet....but as far as Blue gills are concerned a standard dry fly neck will give you all the feathers you need for the samller size buggers.


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## iaff313 (Jun 13, 2014)

If they seem little long for you you can always trim off the hackle. If see the pic the top greenish one has way to long hackle I will trim them down sometimes before I hit the water or I carry scissors and I will cut down on the water. If you use no lead, all those are lead, you can cut the bottom of the fly hackle flat with the surface of the water and basically have a dry fly Wooley, even with hen hackle, I use them a lot in standing waters where waters will hold the fly up handy fishing trees, docks on lakes. I have even took few bass off surface with dry wooleys.


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## piscator (Jun 14, 2004)

Use hen saddle hackle. Nice and soft. Great buggy look


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