Fly fishing for bluegills

When bream are biting, fly fishing is one of most exciting ways to catch them.

Bream will strike buoyant popping bugs on the surface, or catch them underwater with nymphs or small streamers.

A 3- or 4-weight rod and line combo is sufficient, and you don’t need a strike indicator. Cast a popping bug under a low-hanging bush, and you’ll probably get a strike instantly. If not, jiggle your rod to make the bug dance, or strip a little line to make it pop. Strikes are violent, and a big bluegill can put up a valorous fight against a light rod.

You can buy popping bugs, or you can make your own. Tommy Marks of Mount Airy, Md., makes them from discarded flip-flop sandals, and they work.

With woolly buggers, streamers or bead-head nymphs, bream will hit as the lures fall, or they’ll hit as it rises. A gentle lift is all you need to set the hook.

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