"Panfish on the Fly"
By. Scott Einsmann
Sweat dripped from my forehead and splashed into the water below as I stared through my polarized sunglasses at the tiny popper resting motionless on the water. I twitched it twice and as the ripples in the water disappeared so did my popper. In an instant my anxiety was released with a, “Fish on!” My five-weight rod brought the trophy in. I released the bluegill and casted again. Fishing for panfish with flies is fast and exciting to way to spend a summer’s day. Of course as with all fishing you need the right gear, flies and tactics to make your day a success.
Gear
Your trout set up will fit the bill for panfish but the most popular rod sizes are 3-6 weight rod with a weight forward floating line. That matched with a 7ft 4x leader and your ready to go. You can ditch your fly vest and use a small and convenient chest pack. Forceps or pliers, a leader straighter, and a pair of nippers to cut your line are always a must when fly-fishing.
Flies
Poppers are my favorite way to catch panfish for one simple reason the unbeatable action. Pan fish poppers vary in hook size from 8-10. You should have good assortment of colors to match the preference of the fish or the water clarity. When selecting the color keep it simple, dark colors like black and dark blue for stained and muddy water and light colors like chartreuse and white for clear water. To fish a popper cast it and let it sit there until all the ripples in the water are gone then twitch it two or three times by stripping in small amounts of line. Repeat this all the way back to you. Some poppers come with plastic legs that can be trimmed with a pair of scissors if they interfere with casting, action of the popper, or the way the fish strike. My recommendation is to try the popper to see how it works with the legs long and then if you are not getting the desired result go ahead and trim them.
Foam spiders are another favorite for panfish. There wiggling legs seem to entice panfish into eating them. These flies are fairly simple to fish all you do is cast to a likely spot and let it sit there, if no fish strike cast again.
Tactics
Catching panfish is pretty simple but there are a few things you should know. Pan fish are most active when the water temperature is warm because the warm water speeds up their metabolism. This is why they are easiest to catch during summer. Panfish are ambush feeders so they are found near cover like lily pads, brush piles, aquatic vegetation, and other types of cover found in shallow water. A good thing about fishing for panfish is that you don’t need a boat to catch them fishing from shore is just as productive as fishing from a boat. Also remember that when you see a fish strike your top water fly don’t set the hook immediately wait an extra second and then set the hook. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pulled my fly right out of the fish’s mouth by setting the hook too early. Pan fish are fun to catch and a great table fair. Next time you’re going out to the lake bring along your fly rod and some panfish flies. You won’t regret it!