Panfish On The Fly

09/09/2026

Always good to see trout that have made it through a hot summer. My favorite season is right around the corner. Hit me up or reach out to South Branch Outfitters (South Branch Outfitters, Califon, NJ) if you want to get out on the water this fall.

09/08/2026

I was thrilled when Tenkara USA contacted me earlier in the year and asked if I could provide one of my favorite tenkara flies for them to reproduce and offer for sale on their website. The fly I submitted was one I call a Hare’s Ear Soft Hackle. It started out as an emerger pattern for trout but eventually was modified as a carp and panfish pattern (my fly is the last photo). You can read all about the pattern on the Panfish On The Fly blog. I have tested their version for a few months now and it has worked very well on both trout and panfish (I am still searching for that willing carp!). The fly is now available for sale on Tenkara USA’s website.

09/08/2026

New Blog Post: The Tenkara USA Hare's Ear Soft Hackle

Earlier in the year, Tenkara USA reached out and asked me to share one of my favorite flies for tenkara fishing. I selected a pattern that I use for trout and warm-water fish like carp and panfish. I originally tied the fly for trout; the Hare’s Ear Soft Hackle was meant to imitate a caddis pupa, ...

09/07/2026

I spent Sunday morning with Lateral Lines Fly Tying exploring a wild trout stream just over the boarder in Pennsylvania. It was a slow morning but the conditions were perfect. I can’t decide who was prettier the little wild browns or the redbreast sunfish.

09/05/2026

For some time now I have been planning to add a bass-sized Triangle Bug foam cutter from River Road Creations to the line up. I have spent months playing around with different body and hook combinations to come up with a larger Triangle Bug to target bass and other predators. I think I am getting close (a standard-sized T-bug is in the photo for comparison). This fly is tied on a Fulling Mills 1/0 pike hook and the body is Semperfli’s 3.5mm foam coated with the new Solarez Top Coat 77 UV Resin designed for coating foam. The resin increases the fly’s durability, seals it against water intrusion and gives the body a glossy finish. It also increases the “SPLAT” factor considerably always a plus when targeting bass. So I am asking fans of the Triangle Bug that have been waiting for a bass-sized bug, are we close? Smaller, larger, more elongated like the original? Let me now in the comments.

09/03/2026

I will be joining the boys tonight for some live fly tying and conversation on all things fly fishing, fly tying, and whatever else pops up! Come join us on Instagram Live at 9:00 EST tonight.

09/02/2026

Let’s see those fly tying spaces! There is always a lot of interest in where folks tie their flies. Some set up and break down on their kitchen tables others have entire rooms dedicated to their favorite past time. Let’s see yours, share a photo or two in the comments.

I’ll start off with mine, with a disclaimer that these pictures were taken shortly after purchasing this desk in 2009. It has since been moved to another wall in my office and a lot more material storage fixtures have been added. The reason I picked these photos to share is that it has not been as clean and organized since that time!

09/01/2026

For those of you who are fans of the Triangle Bug here is something interesting I have stumbled upon. I have always stressed simplicity when tying the Triangle Bug. A sparse tail of calf tail, 2mm foam body and silicon legs, just three materials. When it comes to panfish that fly is tried and true. About a month ago, I was sitting at my tying desk cleaning up and I tied up some dressed up versions of the Triangle Bug with the bits and bobs that were lying about the desk. These flies were tied with standard sized bodies, fuller tails, soft hackle colors and a little flash. I wasn’t setting out to accomplish anything other that using up some scrap materials lying about the desk.

Fast forward to today, after fishing these bugs (there were four of them) for a month, I learned something interesting. They caught juvenile largemouth bass almost exclusively. They ranged in size from three inches up to 15”. They caught fewer than normal panfish but the ones caught were noticeably larger. I have always caught the occasional bass on standard triangle bugs, but this is different. In a month of fishing these flies the fish caught were mostly bass!

It must be the change in profile and surface disturbance. Its performance in regards to panfish was dismal compared to the standard fly with the exception being the panfish caught were bigger. So if you are fishing an area with a lot of smaller bass or want to keep smaller panfish at bay this is a bug to try.

I have tied larger versions for bass and they are typically tied in this style but they are much larger flies. I know I am going to get asked about this and yes the larger foam cutter is finally coming this fall. But this standard sized version was a bit of a surprise .

For anyone interested I have a few foam cutters available after filling orders for those on the waitlist and newsletter subscribers. You can find them here.

https://www.panfishonthefly.com/toolsandflyboxes/triangle-bug-custom-cutter

08/31/2026

I recently tied up a few “full-dress” Triangle Bugs with odds and ends lying around on the tying desk. While the standard Triangle Bug catches the occasional bass this version dressed up with a soft hackle collar and a little flash is definitely preferred by juvenile bass. I have caught far more small bass than panfish on this version of the fly. The added bulk and larger silhouette is probably the reason.

08/25/2026

What the hell happened here last night? Don’t drink and tie kids!