Bluegill Spider
The Bluegill Spider is one of the most productive and overlooked warmwater fly patterns. Its rubber legs pulse with life on the slightest current or twitch, and panfish cannot resist the movement. Fish it under a strike indicator in weed beds and over drop-offs, or retrieve it slowly along the bottom. Works equally well for crappie and small bass. Tie it in chartreuse, white, orange, and yellow for best results.
- Type
- wet fly (Warmwater)
- Hook sizes
- #8–12
- Target species
- panfish, bass
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Best seasons
- spring, summer, fall
Materials
- hook: Standard wet fly hook #8–12
- thread: Chartreuse or white 6/0
- body: Chartreuse, white, or yellow dubbing, round balls
- legs: White, chartreuse, or barred rubber legs (4–6 legs total)
Tying steps
- Mount a size 8–12 hook; start chartreuse or white thread.
- Dub a round ball of chartreuse or white dubbing at the bend as the body.
- Tie in 2 strands of rubber leg material across the body, creating 4 legs splayed outward.
- Wrap thread forward; dub a second body ball of contrasting color (orange or yellow).
- Tie in another pair of rubber legs at the thorax.
- Build a neat small head; whip finish and cement.
- Apply head cement to the thread wraps at the hook eye and let dry before fishing.
- Check that all rubber legs are the same length and splay evenly when the fly is held horizontally.
- Spread all rubber legs with a dubbing needle to confirm they radiate evenly in a cruciform pattern and none are twisted around the hook shank.