Panfish Gurgler

Gurgler's are easy top water, popper style flies that catch a wide range of fish. when tied in different sizes or color schemes, you can catch trout, bass, sunfish, and Ive even caught saltwater fish on some larger ones like redfish. They dont make much of a popping sound like some poppers do, but they do spit a lot of water, which causes some visual commotion on the surface, causing fish to come inspect what is going on. When tied small like this panfish popper I made for you all today, you can catch sunfish with them, which they go crazy for this fly. Like any other foam fly, sunfish will slam them as soon as they hit the surface. But if not, you can start stripping them along the surface, causing the water to spray around it, looking like an injured baitfish, frog or whatever else the fish might think it is. This can then get the attention of some sunnies that might not have seen it hit the water.

Out here in south Texas where I live, we have these little frogs that come out late spring and early summer. I will tie up tan or brown versions of these to mimic the little tan colored frogs. The rear legs look like the legs of a frog, and the tail looks like a frog loosing its tadpole tail. Fish of all species destroy this little gurgler during this frog hatch. In fact, I have better luck with bass on a smaller gurgler like this during those hatches than larger gurglers, since bass are focused on eating these little frogs.

The other benefit to tying these, is they are not too expensive. Unlike many popper patterns, you dont need the expensive pre-formed foam heads. Those can cost as much as a dollar each. Instead, a package of 2mm fly foam can tie up 30-40 of these flies and costs about $5. Better yet, you can find large sheets of 2mm Eva foam on amazon, where you can get a 10 different colors and tie up 100's of these for just a $10 investment. I will link to both the small packages of foam and large sheets below if you're interested in either.

Ive never fished panfish where I dont see at least a couple bass lurking around, and fishing a fly that can catch both sunfish and bass is very beneficial. You can go out, and have a great time catching dozens of sunnies, but you dont need to switch flies incase you spot a bass. Just give this a cast to the bass, and the bass will eat this just as readily as a larger gurgler. In some cases more readily. The other benefit to these is you can cast them with a smaller 3 or 4wt fly rod, making for a great time out on the water.

Make sure you check out my sponsor Risen Fly. They have amazing deals on hooks and beads, but also sell some of the best fly rods Ive ever used, and at a price that is very reasonable. Best off they are offering all of you a discount just for being my subscriber. So go to www.risenfly.com and type in McFly at checkout for 15% off your first order with them.

Also dont forget to pick up one of my fly boxes. I have both magnetic backed and silicone backed, if these sell well I plan on getting more styles as well and maybe even bringing back the shirts that everyone loved years ago. Check out my amazon store front to pick up the boxes. - www.amazon.com/shops/McFlyAngler

Materials
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Hook: Risen 9231 (size 12) - https://www.risenfly.com/collections/hooks/products/barbless-nymph-9231
Thread: Veevus 6/0 (black) - https://amzn.to/4nFuIO2
Tail: Marabou (yellow or striped yellow) - https://amzn.to/46nU10P
Back: Fly Tying Eva Foam (yellow, 2mm) - https://amzn.to/4lIlcaW
Body: Cactus Chenille (pearl) - https://amzn.to/4kSJrT0
Legs: MFC Centepede Legs (small, yellow/black) - https://amzn.to/3TZMBt9
Dubbing: Ice dubbing/diamond brite (yellow) - https://amzn.to/455XMFZ
Head Cement: Solarez Ultra Thin UV Resin - https://solarez.com/bone-dry-intro-kit.html

Tools:
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Vise: Renzetti Traveler - https://amzn.to/2t2FFmo
Bobbin: Stonfo Bobtec - https://amzn.to/2YWOf39
Scissors: Risen Spring Assist - https://www.risenfly.com/collections/fly-tying-tools-and-accessories/products/spring-assist-scissors
Whip Finisher: Dr. Slick Brass - https://amzn.to/2tGYwDW
Fly Tying Bench: Oasis Walnut Compact Bench - https://www.oasisbenches.com/oasis-benches/compact-bench/
UV Light: Solarez High Output - https://solarez.com/uv-cure-flashlight-high-output.html

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ My Fly Boxes▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Magnetic Fly Box - https://amzn.to/3DBwPQl
Silicone Fly Box - https://amzn.to/40haoIX

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