Fly Tying Tutorial: New School Bluegill Bee

The Ol' Trusty Bluegill Bee Is a Panfish Fly Box Staple... Let's Make It a Next-Generation Fly!

With the new Fish-Skull Articulated Micro-Spine to add a marabou tail, a Nymph-Head Heavy Metal Tungsten Bead to get the fly down quickly, and all new body material, we take this proven and effective old school pattern to the next level.

While the Bluegill Bee has been a long-time favorite for panfish (for good reason, it works!), don't hesitate to throw this fly for trout as well!

Learn to tie the New School Bluegill Bee today.

Fly Recipe

Tail Section

• Shank: Fish-Skull Articulated Micro-Spine, 8 mm (Try the Starter Pack with all sizes + the Tail Shank)
• Tail Material: Marabou

Bluegill: Fly Fishing's Little Magic Bullet

Hook Section

• Hook: Kona Wet Fly Nymph (WFN), #10
• Bead: Nymph-Head Heavy Metal Tungsten Bead, Caddis Green, 4 mm (5/32")
• Connection: Fluorocarbon Leader Material, 10 lb
• Body: FNF Chewing Gum Worm Material
• Wing: Saddle Hackle

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About Brian Wise:

Brian Wise is a fly fishing guide in extreme Southern Missouri. His mainstays are the wild rainbow trout and large predatory brown trout of the North Fork of the White River, but he is also a self-proclaimed smallmouth junkie and loves the seasonal striper fishing as well. He's been the head guide at River of Life Farm for over a decade and has been featured in print such as Southern Living Magazine, Outdoor Life, Fly Fisherman, Field and Stream, Rural Missouri Magazine, on television shows such as NBC’s Today Show, Outdoor Channel’s Ultimate Outdoors, several appearances on Outdoor Channel Outfitters, and is a Field Producer for Chasing Waters on the Pursuit Channel. He was a 2007 qualifier for the coveted Best of the West distance casting competition and won the Bennett Springs distance casting competition with a whopping cast of 106 feet. When Brian isn’t guiding, he is fishing with his two sons. His fly tying and fly fishing videos are quickly making their way to the top of the list, and the Fly Fishing the Ozarks Youtube Channel is the fastest growing channel in the fly fishing genre.