Serious panfish anglers know that you do need particular gear to chase the biggest bluegill and sunfish. There are tried and true panfish flies that will consistently produce.
But say you’re just taking your trout rod on a walk at the local pond? Or what if your life rhythm has made regular excursions untenable? Panfish will be there for you. They’re prevalent, hungry, and fun. And while there is nuance in pursing them, you can certainly get by with what you already have in your fly box.
Here are three flies that are great “crossover” patterns: flies that you may very well have in your trout box that are also perfectly suited to the panfish pond. Not only are these two nymphs and one dry common, they’re also quite easy to fish.
Rubber-legged Beadhead Prince Nymph
Any rubber-legged nymph is a perfect switch-hitting fly. A hare’s ear will certainly work. And a copper john will perform well. But I like how the prince has a little extra something going for it. There is the white tail, the wire-wrapped body, and the tuft of peacock at the collar. The contrasting colors across the length of the fly assuredly draws attention.
The legs are the key here. You can catch plenty of fish on a regular nymph. But those legs trigger tentative panfish; including the larger specimens in your local pond.
Bead-bodied Squirmy Wormy
Any color you can see is a color worth fishing. The bead gets the fly down quickly, and also functions as one more facet of the construction that will entice strikes. Whereas trout often inhale an entire fly, panfish might only nip at a tail. If this is something that you notice while fishing a squirmy, there is a quick fix: snip the “tag” rubber coming off the back of the fly. Now, the tail end is immediately above the hook and in a location sure to be chomped upon.
Jigging a squirmy is a great tactic. So is allowing it to sit on exposed gravel adjacent to vegetation. The silicone will move on its own in the current, but tiny strips will give it enough action to trigger fish.
Dave’s Hopper
Virtually all dry flies will work when panfish are looking up. Stalwart attractors are great. Hoppers, however, are the choice dry fly to throw for panfish. A skilled caster can present them delicately or with some panache. Materials like deer hair or foam will keep them floating all day long. Plus, you can attach either of the flies above as droppers. This rig is a surefire way to catch panfish in quantity and of quality.
I like Dave’s Hopper because it does sit down in the water column a bit more than foam-bodied flies. The head and wing will still keep if floating fish after fish, but the “dangling” body offers something more to panfish.
Again, nearly any trout fly can be a panfish fly. Some are consistent producers. Do you have a favorite trout fly for panfish? Let me know in the comments below?