Facebook page - Panfish On The Fly!!

I created Panfish On The Fly, https://www.facebook.com/PanfishOnTheFly for a place to really come together and talk about our #yearofthebluegill or just landing panfish in general.  I mean, c'mon - there's a Smallies On The Fly page.  I figured maybe calling it Pannies on the Fly but that just sounds wrong.

I'm gonna share some info on fly patterns and just kind of link the blog to Facebook and pick up some traffic so that warm water fly fishing in general grows more from a grassroots arena such as #yearofthebluegill.

Tight lines!  Post your big fatties on my page!!

Josh's Flies is now called Buggin' Out

Same ol' stuff just getting better at it. I decided to clean up the blog and make it a little more friendly. I'm gonna be changing my domain name too - still be on Blogger.  flybugger.com is now the new domain name which means I have to notify folks and change things on the back end.

Glad ya'll are still following me!

California Coachman - Bluegill Fly Tying #yearofthebluegill

I wish the picture was better but this is what the swapmeister put on his site back in 2006.  This is a California Coachman which is a Tom Nixon fly pattern for panfish.  I may tie a few up but with a glass bead head.  I can definitely swear by this nymph.  Fly Fishing and Fly Tying for Bass and Panfish by Tom Nixon is a book that one must have to truly appreciate the evolution of warm water fly patterns.  It seems to kind of be the mid-point from the first bucktail streamers and deer hair bugs to the Clouser or even articulated flies.

I learned about Tom Nixon from some folks in a warm water fly fishing group on Yahoo.  Tom Delaney hosted the first ever Tom Nixon Memorial Fly Swap or which I participated.  It really opened the doors to creativity for me.  Tom tried to stay traditional with his fly patterns but also put a slight twist on them for warm water species.

Obviously, the California Coachman is a variant of the Royal Coachman.  Whether you are stripping it or drifting this wet fly pattern, it works great for bass and panfish in the proper fishing environments.  Over the next week or so, I'm gonna list a few Tom Nixon fly patterns for panfish.  Then I will provide some more tying instructions for his bass patterns.  It's #yearofthebluegill and a lot of folks are gonna be tossing flies at them this year - well, more than usual.

California Coachman 

Tail: Golden pheasant tippet fibers
Body: Peacock herl ruff at tail, yellow floss middle and peacock herl ruff forward
Wings: White duck flight feather sections or white hackle fibers
Hook: #18 - #8 

It's more of an ingredient list but it's a starter.  If you've got a hole with a bunch of stubborn sunfish, this fly pattern will work great.  You'll need to switch it up with different fly patterns because even panfish get tired of the same pattern after a while.  Which is why ya'll need to stay tuned for the next post on another Tom Nixon panfish fly pattern.

Strike indicators can be used when drifting for bass and panfish.  I don't do it but sometimes they do bit soft or suck and spit quickly.  Then again, that would be a great excuse for a hopper-dropper combo.  One summer day, I couldn't get anything to take my flies.  I tied on a scud and drifted it in swift shallow riffles when small spotted bass started taking it.  I had to watch them like an eagle - I had to keep a proper drift and set the hook at the right time because those suckers sucked and spit so fast but it seemed they at least gave it a try.  That's a whole 'nother post though.  

 In lakes and ponds, let the California Coachman sink a bit after casting it but vary the retrievals.   


Tight lines!!

Bluegill, oh bluegill, where for art thou bluegill? Warm water fly fishing.

http://myworld.ebay.com/riverwalker74

Where did all the panfish go?!?  From Friday, March 29th through April 3rd, we've had rain on a daily basis.  And - not to mention cold snaps!  Again!  The stream I went to today was running a lot faster and was a lot colder than my trip out last Friday.  I did not land one panfish.  I couldn't even make a fish hit a top water pattern.  I'm wondering if folks cleaned out my bluegill hole on Easter Sunday because it sure seems that way.  At least from looking at the trash on the bank it does.  I picked up some trash and a plastic rod combo cover with rod instructions and a "How-to-fish" booklet to throw in the recycle bin. (I caught the girl above on a Panfish Charley - it's for panfish you silly bass!).

This is why fishing holes get shut down!!  It angers me because I've had a few get shut down to do hooligans and behavior related to drugs alcohol and graffiti.  On one occasion, I was the first one to leave to lot and hit the stream.  I came back a few hours later with a lot of folks bank fishing and diapers scattered willy-nilly!  Or, is it hither-thither??

Check out my red eye bass!   It's been a while since one of these nasty dudes hit the line.  I drifted my Seek & Destroy for panfish and all I got was this bass, lol.  The bass are moving!  It's April and about time!  We've had a late winter and I've been ready to stretch my legs for a while now.  I drifted weighted nymphs for panfish without success today.  The Woolly Bugger wasn't any help either.  Soon, my friends, soon!  Those panfish will be ready to jump into my creel, mwah ha ha ha.

This guy sure is purdy but what is he?  A red eye bass or a smallmouth?  If you look at this information, http://calfish.ucdavis.edu/species/?uid=75&ds=241, it could be a red eye but it looks like a smallmouth bass to me.  The jaw line doesn't seem to extend far.  So, maybe he is a red eye. But who cares right?  It's a bass.  Maybe it's a hybrid . . .

So, those bluegills heard I was out for them this year, huh.  Well, I'll show them next week!  Tight lines to all those chasing panfish on #yearofthebluegill.

Counting Bluegills - Warm water fly fishing

http://myworld.ebay.com/riverwalker74

This year will definitely be a change from last year in that I will be fly fishing on more impoundments than streams.  Seeing as how it is #yearofthebluegill, I feel as if a big weight has been lifted from my shoulders, lol.  Granted, my smallmouth pics don't compare to those of other bloggers but chasing panfish will put me in a place that makes me happy.

I landed several bluegills the other day and am hoping to make it back out this week.  I believe my count is at 4.  I am only counting those that are at least the size of my hand.  I will do my best at identifying these mix breeds of sunfish.

This little dude hit my chartreuse coon hair Clouser.  I hope waters warm up soon.  These cold snaps and rain are keeping me indoors.  I'm gonna do repair on a Boogle Bug.  It seems I broke the top on a back cast.  I've also got an orange Boogle Bug in which the feathers already have to be replaced.  I just bought it last year but the feathers are already gnawed at by mites because I left in in a fly box that wasn't aired out after my last outing.

And it sure won't hurt to land these guys every now and then.  She? slammed my Boogle Bug as I let it rest a bit after casting into some cover.  This bass took it as she jumped out of the water and landed upside down with her yellow belly disappearing into the stream.  I'm starting out with Boogle Bugs because for some reason, they worked best last spring.

I know Cameron at TFM is promoting #yearofthebluegill but I think Bill Trussell has been a big influence on catching those nasty little fighters.  So, tight lines to all of you chasing bluegills this year!