The last few weeks I have been only able to catch sunfish on a yellow Betts top water popper. I fished Dunlap, the Comal River, Brazos River and Somerville lake with the same results. I have tried multiple sizes, weights, and colors of subsurface flies with poor results. I have mainly been using Briminators and pistol petes which I had great success with during the Winter and Spring.

So for you fly fisherman, have you found the secret to catching them on subsurface flies this time of year? Any suggestions?

Black wooly bugger with a strike indicator works for me.

Thanks, any particular color pattern? Do you add weight to them?

Also, I've never used strike indicators. Do they help to suspend the fly at a certain depth?

What about presentation? Do you just twitch them under an indicator or strip them?

OOPS, just saw black wooly bugger, LOL

you can use a popper as a strike indicator just tie the second line to the hook.

I like bead head nymphs.

Ah yes, the popper dropper. I have done that before. Great idea!!!!

Thanks

Hey Jamie. Here are some pics of my fly boxes. Not everything is specific to Sunnies, but most pictured will catch the fool out of them. I've done really well on gold bead heads and black bodied nymph's and buggers, the Olive Bugger is also a go to. Clousers will catch any fish that eats fish, they are amazing... bass, cats and Crappie love them (I'm sure you already know this) so get ready to hold on!

Lots of times I don't actually feel the eat, I'm always watching the line for a twitch. Sometimes I'll strip set to keep the fly in the water in case they miss so they have another chance to find it since I didn't yank it out of the water. Downsize your fly if you are just getting "pecked"

Hope this helps.

Thanks Fitz, great information. I've also noticed that gold works better than silver. I don't think I am missing the bite. I'm good at picking up small movements in the line and also feeling the bite. I do prefer Briminators and clousers over bead heads because they ride hook up. Less snags. I think I'll focus on trying a popper dropper. I suspect it may be more of an issue of getting the lure at the right depth if the fish are suspended.

I appreciate all the input guys. It got me thinking and I was much more successful today.

My favorite subsurface fly is the Briminator. I caught 76 bluegill on the fly one day. I was using a simple size 10 black with gold eyes and a brown/black collar.

Ever since then I have been experimenting with color patterns, flash, cheniles and silver eyes. I caught 6 catfish and about 15 gaspergou on a black and chartreuse briminator Saturday but not a single bluegill.

So I went to the creek today. I started with a yellow popper and caught a couple, but it was slow. I put on the simple black briminator and immediately caught 5 bluegill/longear. I then tried using a black bead head wooley bugger, but as expected I kept getting caught in the weeds. I tried a popper dropper but only caught one and wasn't sure I was picking up the bite. I switched back to the simple black briminator and caught 5 more.

I always see people having success with flashy flies; but all my experience has shown that simple / natural is better for bluegill. Simple black, simple olive, little or no flash and gold eyes have been my most successful Briminators. I think in an effort to create the greatest fly ever and impress the fisherman I may have just out thought myself.

Now I think I'll start experimenting with some small, sparse clousers. Input on your favorite clouser color patterns would be appreciated.

Thanks again for the input

Pics of Longear?

I didn't take any pictures today. I have plenty of pictures of 6 inch longear, LOL

Post them up. Longear vary in color more than any other Sunfish.

This is a picture of my State Private Water Body Record Long ear




Here is an example of the ones I have been catching lately, LOL