Evie's Blue Gill Fly

Click to Magnify

When the Blue Gill becoming active, this is a great pattern to entice them to eat. Although a version of this fly was probably first tied by someone else, this particular pattern was developed by Al Bourisaw (Name for his wife) for use on still water lakes. It has also proven popular with large mouth bass.

Printable Version

Materials

Tying Instructions

1. Mount the hook in the vise. Start the thread behind the eye using a jamb knot. Lay a base of thread from behind the eye down to the middle of the bend of the hook.
2. Return the thread to a point (about 1/4 the length of the shank) behind the eye. Tie on a medium bead chain eye and secure it with super glue. Set the fly aside until the glue dries.
3. Tie on two strips of rubber leg material behind the bead chain eyes. Pull the rubber legs taunt and wrap over them to the end of the body (point on the shank above the barb). Cut the rubber legs about twice the length of the shank. Stretching the legs should divide the rubber strands.
4. Return the thread to a point behind the bead chain eyes. Tie on the chartreuse body material and secure it down the shank to the end of the fly body. Return the thread to a point behind the eye.
5. Wind the chartreuse body material forward to form the body. Stop just behind the bead chain eyes. Bring the body material over the bead chain eyes, under the hook eye and back over the bead chain eyes. Secure the body material with two wraps of thread. Cut the body material.
6. Turn the hook over in the vise. This is the way it should ride in the water.
7. Bring the thread in front of the bead chain eyes. Stoke a marabou moving the fingers from the butt towards the tip. Determine the length of the wing and cut off the butt. Remove all small lose strands of marabou before tying it onto the hook.
8. Tie the wing in front of the bead chain eyes and behind the hook eye. After tying on the wing, bring the thread behind the bead chain eyes and make two wraps over the wing material and hook shank. Return the thread to the front of the bead chain eyes and form a head.
9. Whip-finish and apply glue to the head. Pinch (don't cut) the tips of the marabou if you want to shorten the wing.