Tearing up the Bluegills on the beds this weekend

[jabba]

with my 3 year old. We butchered about 150 of them in the last 2 days.





Jabba

[jimiowa]

Now That's cool!!!
Their just starting to get on the beds here.
I brought home 10 today, lost a couple amd missed getting the hook set on probalby 20 more.
Using my new #5 wt flyrod and flies I tied this spring.
Caught them all on Black or White Boudreaux's and Maribou Wooly Buggers.
These are not my ties but gives you an idea what the Boudreaux looks like.

[Jack]

Looks like what used to be called a bivisible, with big eyes added. I bet it works, but not fun to cast in the wind, unless they're pretty small- I can't really tell size in the pic.
Jabba, way to go on the bluegills!

[jimiowa]

I've been tying them on # 12 & 14 Scud Hooks.
Smallest I could get at Bass Pro-Shop.
They cast well enough till the wind gets to 20+ mph, then things go downhill fast.

[Jack]

When I was not much older than Jabba's boy, my Dad had me catching bluegills with a fly rod and a bivisible, so that brings back memories!
The rod he had me using had an old 'automatic' fly reel, with a trigger to take in line by spring power- dunno if they still make those. Anyway, I discovered the trick of hitting the trigger when a bluegill hit, and 'surfing' the bluegill in!

[jimiowa]

Yes they do still make them and some are quite expensive.
I have an older pfluger auto that works good but I don't have it on a rod. They are fairly heavy and with the newer lighter rods, I find them to be out of balance and butt heavy.
So I use graphite manual reels instead.
The new 5 wt rod came with an aluminum reel and I took it off and spooled the line on a graphite reel with a spare spool. I used the spare spool for a sinking tip line and put my 6wt line on the aluminum reel and put it on the Diawa 6wt rod which was my first flyrod(had it almost 30 yr). That old rod is getting pretty ratty so I may strip it down and do a rewrap and update this winter.
The plating is gon on most of the guides and the foam grip is getting ratty. I may go so far as to paint it, new guides and a Cork grip.