bass/panfish fly patterns?

[RyanX]

Dear Larry
Hey Larry do you have any fly patterns for bass and panfish your willing to share? The reason I am asking is because I am tying some flies to keep myself busy this winter.

[dahlberg]

I wish you could be in my workshop for an hour and I could teach you how to tie the flies I use, or that I had time to video the instructions. Every great fly I've ever used is very simple to tie. The super complicated ones are, IMO, more form than function.
The couple of simple but effective flies for panfish I'd suggest are the black gnat and the deerhair caddis. I'm sure you can find the recipes on line.
For bass learn to tie with deer hair and you can make poppers, sliders, and divers. They're a little harder to tie, but if you use good strong thread (or even dental floss) and have a good sharp scissors or razor blade they are not that tough. Be sure to use belly and longer body hairs, not hair from the tail! (body hair is hollow and will flair when you tie it. Also float. Tail hair will do neither very well!) Also, Flex cement is great for all flies, especially ones made of deer hair. I always soak the bellies of my divers and poppers with it. You can make your own by thinning Shoe Goop with toluene.
A hunk of nice deer hair can be trimmed from the white belly and more coarse areas on the back. On a fresh hide I just rub in a 50/50 mixture of salt and alum, then let it cure in the open air. Don't wash it in detergent because it will not float as well if you remove the natural oils.
My go to streamer pattern is one I call a flashdancer and it's super easy to tie. Again, if you google around you will find the recipes!
good luck!
L

[RyanX]

Thanks Larry, You don't know how much I would love to be there for an hour. Black gnats are my goto for panfish, I caught 30 hand size crappies from the same bush one night in our 1/2 acre pond on my own black gnat. Minnow patterns are my Favorited thunder creek being the best IMO. I tied a Dahlberg driver on a #8 hook and I can't wait to use it to see how it works. I really can't get tail or belly deer hair to flare out really good, and my favorite website for bass/panfish flies is http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/ (thats where I saw the Min Dahlberg driver.)

[dahlberg]

Hi R
Sounds like you're on the right track.
If your hair isn't flairing use bigger clumps, heavier thread, or coarser hair! With the right hair, thread and tension you can't help but make it flair.
When I first invented the diver 40 odd years ago (and of course since then, too), I've tried it in every imaginable size, material and shape combination.
I found in the smaller sizes (smaller than 4 or so) it doesn't offer nearly the advantages the larger sizes do. Try the deer hair (often called elk hair) caddis.
It's much easier to trim and perhaps the easiest deer hair fly to tie. Plus, it's deadly on panfish!
best,
L

[Questor]

My favorites for panfish are the simple wooly bugger on a #10 streamer hook. White and chartreuse is best in my favorite waters, which are a bit murky. I also make my own panfish poppers because it's hard to find good commercial ones with an adequate hook size and hook gap.

For bass, the Dahlberg Diver is excellent. Any color seems to work. #3/0 and #2 are good sizes to have. I also like the clouser minnow with a relatively heavy head, and about 3.5" long tied sparsely and with a little flash.