The Gill Bug - A Bass and Panfish Fly

The Gill Bug

David Hutton, Palmetto Fly N Fish

Mar 8 2021

Simple flies.
I like simple flies. 
Just saying it aloud - “simple flies” - is appealing.
And when I say, "simple," I mean three materials or less, excluding thread and hook.

    No complicated engineering, no laundry list of materials, and no difficult tying gymnastics...that is simple. And that's what we have here today - a simple but very effective pattern for bass and panfish: THE GILL BUG.

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Gill Bugs Galore

Origin of pattern
    This pattern was the brainchild of Detroit rod builder, taxidermist and inventor, Paul Young.
    If you were around in the 80's, you'll probably remember a pop musician of the same name, with a few hits back then. Well ...

Sorry - not THAT Paul Young

    Instead, the man I refer to is Paul H. Young, the fly fishing legend...

                                                            

THIS Paul Young

    He built some of the finest fly rods ever, and was among the best of the post-WWII rod crafters...

    His gear and his book, "Making and Using the Fly and Leader," still bring high prices whenever they come up for sale.

Today, a chapter of Trout Unlimited is named after him.
And he had “firsts”...
- He was the first to take the short, slim fly rod into the mainstream.
- He was the first to promote Mustad's famous barbless hooks, and he invented the famed Strawman Nymph, among others.
- Remember those collapsible, plastic drinking cups? The Trik-Kup? Paul Young invented them, too.

    But Mr. Young was also a keen angler and fly tyer.
Our featured pattern, the Gill Bug, is one of his patterns, albeit a lesser known one. It was created to overcome the main drawback of most bass flies in general:

They're just too dang big and bulky to cast pleasantly without heavy rod and line combos.

    It's understandable that trout anglers, or panfishermen, might not want to invest in an outfit just for this heavy fishing.

    I'm one of them.

    Fortunately for us, Mr. Young gave us the Gill Bug to deal with that. It is lightweight, not overly air resistant, and it floats on the water very well. Best of all, it appeals to bass when they want a surface pattern.

    It was also popular in the not-too-distant past, from what I can learn of it.
    Chauncey Lively wrote glowingly of it in the 60's. That's pretty big, in itself. It had a loyal following in the Northeast, and has been adapted to every size hook imaginable.
It has caught bass, trout, pike, and panfish of all kinds.
Your great grand-dad may have known of it.
    Even so, like so many good, older flies, it has disappeared from the modern fly box... An internet search of the pattern turns up nothing.

    So, dear friends, we are here today to usher in a Gill Bug revival, albeit a small one.
Gimme an, “AMEN,” and lets get into it!

 What It Is And The Materials

    The Gill Bug can loosely be called a moth-type pattern. This idea, a big moth or butterfly as artificial lure started in the late 1800's, and was common through much of the 20^th century.
It's logical, I suppose, if a bit fanciful to the modern fly angler.

    To be honest, the idea hasn't survived too well here in the 21^st century. A few older patterns bow to the concept....
There's the old Neversink Skater.
The White Deer Hair Moth, and The Spruce Moth come to mind, too.
And now and then, someone hits on something similar to the Gill Bug... although they never quite get there.  

    But, the "moth fly," or at least the concept, is mostly unloved and just lingers in the corners of fly fishing. Fortunately, bass don't know or care about all that. To them, it just looks like something good to eat, and it appeals to our imaginations.
    In the end, both are good enough.

The Tools and Materials

Tools
    The tools used aren't anything unusual – here's the list:(from L to R in the foto)

Scissors (3)
Bodkin
Hair stacker
Thread holder (bobbin)
Hollow punch (for foam variations)
Hair comb
Super glue
Cement, black
Dubbing
Deer hair
Foam
(not shown - chenille of your choice)

    Serrated deer hair scissors are maybe the most unique tool of the bunch. Everything else is standard stuff.

    For materials, the original Gill Bug uses only chenille and a clump of deer hair.

    Can it be simpler than that?!

    But don't be fooled - under that label of, “simple,” is a bit of magic that may not be obvious. The magic is hair taken from a deer... good ol' deer hair.

                       
    I don't know what it is, but there is just something almost bewitching about deer hair in a fly pattern. Fish just seem to fall for it, like you or I might fall off a log. If I see deer hair in a fly, I'm automatically confident with it.

    Another feature of the deer hair wing on the Gill Bug is its dihedral spread. It is angular, in a “v-shape,” and spreads up and back, above the body and hook.
    Dihedral is the same aerodynamic principle that helps model aircraft fly right side up, and in the Gill Bug, it allows the thing to land on the water in the proper orientation

                                       
                                        Wing dihedral

Gill Bug Dihedral

    The deer hair in the Gill Bug can be coarse, and this actually works best in the larger sizes. To get an idea of the quantity of deer hair used, you want enough deer hair to pinch solidly between thumb and the first two fingers, for a #4 hook.

    For thread, you want something strong to bind the deer hair to the hook - I suggest something along the lines of 6/0, 210 Denier, etc. A little cement during construction can't go wrong, either.

    Hook sizes for bass are in the #6-#4 range, and they should be relatively light, but long enough to give you a decent body length. I like an Aberdeen, but anything along these lines is good. Just not too heavy; the Gill Bug is intended to be worked as a surface pattern.

    The chenille is your choice. I left it out of the materials foto above, because I immediately started looking for alternatives.
But the original pattern from Mr. Young used two strands of chenille in alternating bands - black and orange.
I've also seen reference to them in black and white.
Other good colors are white with natural deer hair, and yellow body/black hair.

Variations, Sizes

    You can, of course, tie the Gill Bug in sizes more in keeping with its name sake...bluegill sized, in other words. It makes a dandy panfish bug.
    For smaller fish like bluegill, hook sizes #6-#12 would be right. For these, finer deer hair is called for, simply to maintain proper proportions overall.

    An interesting variation is to tie the your Gill Bugs inverted, with the hook point up. This way, when it comes gliding down on that V-wing, it will land with the hook point out of the water. This is good for fishing in lily pads, where you can gently walk the Gill Bug across the top of the lily pads, until open water is reached.

Upside Down - gotta work on that head

    Probably the coolest adaptation I've found for the Gill Bug is to make the body out of foam.
    The original chenille had to be well greased with fly floatant and will become water logged, eventually. But not EVA craft foam!
    The foam can be applied as wound-on strips, or my favorite, as a disc, folded around the shank, taco-fashion. This method came from Harrison Steeves III. You can see a couple II did with these foam discs in the opening foto; a dot of super glue holds them together.

Fishing notes
    The time honored way to fish a “moth fly” is to skitter, or skate it across the waters surface. 

    You either grease them and the leader well, or use foam and a greased leader, so everything floats high on the water. Then, pick up the rod tip, like you're going to start a back cast, and once it starts moving – you twitch the bug across the surface in a waking, skipping kind of retrieve.
    Waggling your wrist at the same time can make the fly dance a little on the surface, another way to make it work its magic. The big scoop-shaped head is there to help the fly scoot up out of the water a little better.

    Both of these techniques work best without having too much line out..., if it is too long, the line drags the fly and reduces the control you might have over the Gill Bug.

    But after a little experimentation, you'll get the hang of it, and you're in for tons of fun..., and the bass should find it irresistible.

    Regardless of whether you use chenille or foam for the body, don't skimp on the floatant. You want the fly barely in the surface film, to pull off these antics.

    Of course you can also just fish the Gill Bug like a regular surface fly, without all the gyrations. It is a good surface fly, just a quiet mover, and will work just fine to get the fish's attention..., and the magic deer hair will lure them in for the take.

But no matter how you fish it, Paul Young's 'Gill Bug' is due for a revival.

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Writers should always strive for a job well done... especially mediocre writers like me. If you found value in this article, please like, comment, and share it. 

Do you want to add the catching flies seen here to your own fly or tackle box? Do you have questions, compliments, or suggestions?
If so, email me at...dahutist@gmail.com

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Palmetto Fly n Fish

Thanks so much for reading, and...

Tight Lines,

Dave Hutton

© All rights reserved, David Hutton/Palmetto Fly N Fish 2021/2023 

THE FLIEDERMOUSE

The Fliedermouse 

    

I don't normally fish topwater flies as my primary type. 
There, I said it. Clap me in irons, sharpen the guillotine.

    I tend to view fly fishing as a shallow water style, and top-water flies are a natural. So don't be concerned by that opening statement - I like shallow water floating flies, bugs, and poppers. There is nothing as exciting as that splashy surface bite. 

    Yessir, surface patterns have their place and I usually start any session by fishing the surface. 

    
    But there is an inherent problem with surface flies that is almost never mentioned: They are useful only part of the time. 

    When the sun gets high, or the wind turns sharp and brisk, they start to be ignored. Or, for whatever reason known only to the fish, they just won't come up to take a surface offering.
    At those times, I start probing down in the water column.
Many fly anglers simply won't fish anything BUT a surface fly or bug.... but I'm not one of them. 

    So I'm in two minds - I know there is a time to let go of the surface fly and fish down in the water. But I also like floating foam patterns, and I really like imaginative "creature" flies. 

    Some would say I'm conflicted; but I say, "Not at all."
I call it smart... or maybe realistic. Maybe both.
    And with that understood, I feel safe in saying that I have been taken with this particular foam-and-hair surface bug.

THE FLIEGERMOUSE ... What's In A Name?

    The name of this fly, "Fliedermouse," is a clever play on words, something I also like. The word, "flieger," in German means flyer. There also used to be a popular old pattern called the "Fledermaus" - German for "bat."
    This one borrows from these ideas and mixes them all into... "The Fliedermouse." The "Flying Mouse," if you like.

    This pattern comes from Harrison Steeve III's book, "Tying Flies with Foam, Fur, and Feathers." 

    If you like terrestrial flies and tying with foam, it is a must have for your library.

Rear Quarter View

A UNIQUE APPROACH

    Harrison developed a concept using craft foam discs as the base material for any number of flies, and this is simply that: several foam discs of different sizes, affixed in imaginative ways to the hook. 

    Added to the Fliedermouse is another favorite material of mine - deer hair. In this case, if forms a durable tail and wings.
As far as I'm concerned..., "Deer hair is fish-catching magic!"
You can quote me on that.

    The tail is deer hair tied on the hook shank in the usual way for a tail. I tie it in tight, but not too tight that it flares widely. The body is a disc of foam, folded up and around the hook, taco-style, so it surrounds the butts of the deer-hair tail.
Super glue holds it closed.
    The shoulders and head are another two discs.
One is pinched to a tiny point, then tied just in front of the body to form the shoulder. A jot of super glue holds it tight to the front of the body 
    Next comes two tufts of deer hair, one each tied to either side to form wings.
The last item to go on is another disc, pinched and tied in at the eye, forming the head shell. Here again, a little more super glue holds one atop the other, keeping the hair wing under control.

    Some fur dubbing, or peacock herl, blends the bottom of the what is now a thorax into a whole.

You end up with a foam surface bug having a combination effect:

Part waking slider
Part hair fly
Part critter

NOTE: Fliedermouse is a two material fly, but don't let that fool you  - it is not a "quickie," simple tie. It requires some dedicated material prep, a couple of tricky bindings, skillful thread tension control, and the winging work of a "Humpy" trout fly.
    If you like 2 step patterns, this may not be for you.

    But, it's not terribly difficult, either. If you have other foam and fur patterns under your belt, and aren't raw beginner,... you should give it a go. If you run into trouble, just contact me at the email below and I'll help you over the rough spots.
My suggestion? Tie the first ones big, to get the hang of it.

Bottom View

FISHING NOTES

    Let me be up front here....

    I want to tell you The 

Fliedermouse has caught every species of fish, from Ankara to Zanzibar. 

I'd love to tell you how bass and bluegill leap from the water to grab them. 

    Well,.... I have only fished them in my local warm water lakes and ponds. I have trolled them over submerged weeds. They have been cast in among rocks, docks, wood and weeds in my float tube stomping grounds.
    The fish always react positively, however, and the Fliedermouse gets bit readily. 

So at this point, I can say it works, and has great universal potential. 

    My suggestion is to tie it in the #6 hook range, on a fairly long hook 3X, 4X that hind of thing. I use Aberdeens.
This way, they cast handily, and appeal to both bass and panfish.*

Then, fish the heck outta the thing.

* This size range is known as the Bass-Bluegill Lap and is covered here, by Skip Morris:
The Bass-Bluegill Lap

    Add The Fliedermouse to your kit as a complement to poppers, when something more subtle is called for.

You may find the fish will like them better. 

Or just maybe, you will.

I hope you liked this, and learned something from it. I have  no idea how to make money at this article writing , so I go for a job well done. If you think I did that, please like and share. 

Thanks for reading, and "Tight Lines!"

David Hutton 

If you have questions, you are invited to send them by email to... dahutist@gmail.com
And don't forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and join us on Facebook, here: Palmetto Fly N Fish

All rights reserved, Palmetto Fly N Fish© 2018, 2023

Deer Hair Sorta F-Flies

Deer Hair Sorta F-Flies

These are some flies that Lee Capitano of Jacksonville, FL posted on one of the facebook pages we frequent. Here's what Lee had to say about them:

"Tied on a 2x nymph hook. It's one of my go-to flies. I guess I should call it the 'Rule Breaker.' 
Once its wet, it sinks slowly. Then you treat it like a streamer and swim and twitch it along just below the surface. Everything in the pond will chase it. 
Think I'm crazy? Try it. 
Sometimes you need to fish it slow, and sometimes you gotta go fast. Once you dial it in - you will tie more.

It's deer hair hackle, and Shetland yarn, the same stuff you buy for Killer Bugs. I have lots of colors."

This fly struck a chord with me, which is why I present it here. The reason is simple - it's much the same as flies I've tied myself, and which I fished with equal success back when I had more time for fishing. 

My own version started out as I toyed around with the "F-Fly," maybe 4 or 5 years ago. The F-Fly by Marjan Fratnik is generally tied small, 12-16 and with a cul d'canard wing. At the time, I didn't really know what CDC was, nor did I have the proper sense of scale that goes with that famous European fly.
Basically, I just improvised wildly on the basic F-Fly idea....

1. a body
2. a wing
3. a head

Hook sizes were pretty much whatever I felt like. Flies like this tied on larger hooks will catch bass. I haven't gone past about #4, but those will take big panfish and bass. 

The bodies I applied from most anything I had around. Yarn, dubbing, wool, and my ultimate favorite, wire-wrapped peacock herl.

The wings came from hair brushed from my dog, bucktail and finally deer hair. 

The head is just thread wrapped and varnished. 

In the end they look something like this....

• Peacock herl counter-wrapped with my signature red wire.
• Natural deer hair tips.
• Big thread head

These are tough enough for panfish, and they don't come apart too soon. They're also fish catchers. 

For a brief period, these experiments inspired me to stop using feathers for soft hackle and I ended up adding deer hair to just about everything. 
Honestly, I was quite surprised at how the fish went for it.
It was at this time that I started using one of my now favorite phrases - "...deer hair is magic!"

In retrospect, I think I first broke down the, "hackle must be feathers," barrier after discovering the old Al Troth "Spiders"... which aren't spiders at all; not in any sense of the word.
They're actually dry flies, but they use a collar of flared deer hair in place of the usual dry-fly hackle. I was entranced by that idea for a little while, and it must have stuck. 
It was just a small leap of faith to replace a soft hackle with hair, and especially deer hair.

My friend Bart Lombardo has resurrected an old, obscure pattern along similar lines, the "James Woods Bucktail." It uses bucktail as a hair wing, circling a chenille body and behind a chenille head.
He ties it, now, in several different color combinations to mimic all sorts of fish food. Here's a link to his original tribute to that pattern:

The James Wood Bucktail

With the zillions of exotic, lurid, and complicated flies we might tie, well... ain't it amazing how the simplest combination of materials does the job as well?