Is This The Most Underrated Way to Fly Fish?!

In this video, Brian Flechsig from Mad River Outfitters and Ryan Ratliff from Ohio Fly Fishing guides go giant hybrid bluegill fishing... Spoiler alert: It's a total blast!
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Shot and Edited by Dev Fogle
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Welcome to Mad River Outfitters, hosted by professional fly fishing guide, Brian Flechsig and his team of fly fishing guides at Mad River Outfitters. On this channel you will find honest fly fishing education, fly fishing tutorials and product reviews. We're passionate about fly fishing and that's what we hope to share here. More information about who we are can be found on our website (www.madriveroutfitters.com) and also on our Instagram (@madriveroutfitters).
#FlyFishing #Fishing

[@swooningloonflyfishing]

Topwater Bluegill fishing is such a blast. Hours and hours and hours have been spent play with these beautiful fish. Great species!!

[@Madriveroutfitters]

So much fun! Thanks for watching.

[@MedicRNMike]

What’s not to like? They’re eager buyers and fight hard for their size on ultralight tackle.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Agreed!

[@donswearingen9805]

And they taste good.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

@@donswearingen9805 yes they do!

[@paulyp36]

Living in southern Illinois my options for fishing can be limited, but fly fishing for panfish and bass have kept me entertained for the last couple of years. I love fishing small/medium hoppers for a variety of species.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching. They are certainly entertaining.

[@steppderek87]

That's where I live. I also fly fish for gills.

[@sab3156]

Sometimes you just want to relax and not have to worry about too much, and panfish are amazing for this. A 3 weight rod makes it extremely worthwhile. It is also the best way to introduce your kids to fly fishing, because you're almost guaranteed to get at least a few bluegill using some small poppers and whatnot along the shoreline. First time fly fishing with my 4 year old, he was able to reel in 5 bluegill in 20 minutes, and even though he needed me to do the casting for him, he enjoyed this way more than when we went another time to a small trout stream and got bit by a million mosquitoes over a period of an hour and caught zero fish.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching.

[@danmstory]

I love catching bluegills on the fly!

[@Madriveroutfitters]

As do we! Hard to find a fish that's more willing....and more fun.

[@ZacharyBobbie1611]

Love the double glasses look! Thank you for the awesome video! Tight lines! 😎🎣

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching!

[@jeramyh9344]

I love fishing for Bluegill. I have spent hours fishing and never landing anything over 6 inches, but it was still a great time.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching.

[@donnaperry7894]

Cheers from Peter in Maine.I enjoy every video and really enjoy you as a great guy. You teach very well and you are fun to watch. Thank you.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Appreciate you tuning in!

[@MedicRNMike]

Yes!! Love fishing for panfish! I got a 1 wt and a 3 wt just for it! So much fun-especially if you don’t want have time for a big trip.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching.

[@trendyfly]

Pumpkin seeds are one of my favorite fish to catch. I like to use triangle flies. Mini-sized Dahlberg divers are a blast, too. Thanks for sharing your trip!

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Appreciate you being here.

[@anthonygehl3563]

It is so fun catching bluegill’s on the fly rod I just started doing it and am hooked great video tight lines.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching. Truly tons of fun!

[@robinred1851]

These little bandits make super fish for a aquarium !!!
But unfortunately where I live we don't have them.
Tight lines from the Čech Republic 🇨🇿.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching. Let us know if you would like us to send some over?

[@LinusCyrilBrown]

Love it! Thanks guys.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching.

[@Eclipse1988]

I've literally been doing this every day at the lake by my house after work. Great practice, it is!

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching.

[@scottwilliams1041]

Thank you soo much for doing this video! I live In Southern New Jersey and about 80% of my fly, fishing is small, pine barrens ponds for large mouth and panfish. I would like to add for everybody out there in a similar situation, I live about an hour and a 1/2 from true, good trout water. If you like to tie flies, especially for trout fishing, 90% of trout flies are super effective on panfish. I've caught them on parachute Adam's, Griffith's gnat, Purple haze, bead head princes. And my most effective is a small stimulator pattern with rubber legs. Another very easy to tie, very cheap to tie. But super effective panfish fly is the triangle bug. By the way, my personal panfishrod is the Orvis super fine glass 2 weight as well as a Reddington butterstick 4wt. So it was nice to see you using an SFG for this.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks so much for watching. We appreciate it.

[@howiemiller7698]

Thanks for the video on bluegill

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching.

[@abbyhollenbaugh3654]

awesome video! at the time of watching this video is 10degrees outside hopping to get fishing soon!

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Well, hop harder and thanks for watching.

[@RonMTube]

Love it. If fly fishing for bluegills doesn't make you smile, there's something wrong with you.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

We would agree!

[@johnnylightning1491]

My dad and I used to go bluegill fishing when we were done bass or pike fishing for the morning. They saved many a Sunday morning fishing trip. Keep the good stuff coming guys.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching. As long as folks keep supporting the shop, we'll keep making videos.

[@Nrussell11]

Love seeing that Orvis Superfine. I have an 8wt for largemouth and it's awesome

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching.

[@obiwongkenobi985]

I remember my first fish on my fly rod, a bluegill on a BPS red popper. I also remember my 1st fish on a fly I tied, a bluegill on a mop fly. It's fun!

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching.

[@gillboygd]

Bluegill are great, watching them take a dry is so sick. I used to just use bread but it fascinated me to catch one on a dry for the first time

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching. Tons of fun on the top.

[@tgodkev]

Those micro frog poppers I bought from you guys and they are a blast, caught a 9inch largemouth on em and about 7 bluegill in a hour span lol

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching and thanks for the support.

[@Charsept]

Fly fishing for gills is my go to. Trout are a long drive away and I only average 1 fish a trip. Gills I can find in my local water, fight hard for the size and aren't too picky.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Tons of fun for everyone!

[@tigersteamer]

I LOVE THEM. I call them North American lake piranha😎

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Nice! Thanks for watching.

[@JeremyReger]

I completely agree!

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for being here.

[@wschield608]

The first fish I caught on my fly rod was a panfish. So much fun!

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Many are the same…….and yes, always fun!

[@jakedawgwhite88]

In a word, yes!

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Good word.

[@TheRealJaded]

Funny, I just bought a bunch of panfish flies from y'all last week.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for the support and thanks for watching.

[@vieuxacadian9455]

C'est un gran bon temps !

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for being here!

[@PamB_3423]

I live in Nebraska and catch tons of bluegill off my fly rod with nymphs works great.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for being here.

[@stantzz8533]

For some fun try S Fla invasive's like Myans, Oscars, and Jaguars Giant bluegill sized panfish that fights hard.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Sounds fun!

[@suoireled]

Brian, what was the rod and reel you used on this trip. Thanks

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Sorry but we don't have that intel here. You can e-mail Brian at the shop or give him a call. He'll be happy to share. Thanks.

[@johnbennett1162]

He has an Orvis Superfine Glass and Battenkill II he uses for this

[@tikitimthefirst1535]

I've been catching a lot of white perch this year using similar tactics. Use mostly clousers.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Super cool! Thanks for watching.

[@CaptainBobTR13CK]

Do you crimp the barbs on the hook for panfish?

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Always crimp your barbs.

[@GABABQ2756]

Panfish on a fly rod, that’s how I learned to flyfish. Green foam bug tied from a sponge.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Same for many! Tons of fun!

[@MrRourk]

I prefer Crappie Tacos but Bluegill Tacos ain't bad.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for being here.

[@anderste4649]

Would you consider, or have you done, a vid on how to cast far ie 70-80 feet for the flats?
I find both shooting a short-belly line and keeping a long belly in the air awkward.
Your vid on the double haul is excellent.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching. Please send any and all requests directly over to Brian at the shop. You can send him an e-mail and he'll get back to you.

[@TomNavesink]

Ryan’s squirmy produces

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for watching.

[@albialek8480]

3:00 like butter...

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Could not have said it better!

[@flavortown3781]

Its a blast to throw streamers for bluegills

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Agreed. Thanks for watching.

[@donswearingen9805]

Fly fishing for bluegill is more fun than a human being should be allowed to have.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

We agree!

[@N2theBlue1]

Nothing better than a panfish and a 3 or 4 weight glass rod

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Apparently Brian agrees!

[@clysher]

I am noticing a multi color head on Ryan's line, or a leader with an orange and purple butt?

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Probably the leader? He showed that here.....red amnesia butt section? Feel free to call him at the shop though....he'd be happy to discuss/explain further.

[@michaelpoling2652]

The tug is the drug that I'm think of.OHHhhh

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks for being here.

[@realonegamingakalogestick2755]

Panfish are pretty much all I fly fish for mostly crappie u ain’t had a fight until you have caught a12-15 inch crappie on the fly rod

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Stay tuned for the Crappie episode! Ryan is crappie guru!

[@shiddyangler]

Bluegill on a fly rod is seriously underrated! When I first got into fly fishing, this was an excellent training tool to learn how to hook set and manage the line tension when a fish is on. Plus, bluegill will hit literally anything so getting skunked is rare!

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Thanks so much for watching.

[@arthururban8340]

they smash elk hair caddis. best way to introduce kids to the sport.

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Agreed and agreed. Thanks for watching.