MY 3 WT FLY ROD SETUP FOR BLUEGILL (i am not a fly fishing purist)

[Slip Sinker]

One of the 3 flyrod setups I use.

1. Quarrow 5wt reel
2. Cabelas Three Fork 7'6" 3WT rod
3. 5wt FT line 30 lb Dacron backing
4. 6lb test spider wire braid leader
5. Orange or black foam spider.

I use this setup most frequently because of the lighter rod … causes less arm and neck pain… with the 5wt line experimentally has proven less effort in the cast.  I ruined a five dollar mono leader within an hour some nasty knots. Ended up tying on some 6lb braid caught my personal best gill at 9.8”. I have personally caught many hundred gill in just a few weeks on this setup. I have used braid ever since.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Great stuff here Ken
Carl says - "I roll cast 90 percent of the time;; can cast pretty dang far to; and reasonably accurate!! I just use regular mono line tied to the fly line;; works great for me!! easier for me to change !! I don't use a real long leader prefer the tippet part not going back into the rod eyes!!"
•• This works. The key things I take away are the shorter distances, coupled with the short leader.

Jim says - "make your own leaders ken, not hard.if your like me you have lots of spools of mono or braid in different tests lying around,especially those the ones with only a few yards of line left..."
•• Sound familiar? It's not hard.

Jim, cont'd - "... i try to leave a loop to tie on mono or a micro ring works....tippet is 6 or 4 mono for me.i use camo line.most of the knots seem to appear in the tippet.a lot easier to change flies with a mono tippet.and with the loop on the end of the leader easy to tie on new tippet."
•• I cannot say enough good about "tippet rings," what Jim calls 'micro rings' here. They are as good as he makes them sound.

On a side note, foam spiders attract as long as the water is warm. I was getting hits on them right up to the end.

[Slip Sinker]

i guarantee you i will break em out next year early season during the spawn. thats what i heard, but i did notice some fly hatches later in the season.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Since your mention it, I see fly rodding as a three season activity.
Spring and Fall, with Summer thrown in.
Of course you can use it during Summer, but it takes some extra effort to consistently get to the deeper haunts most fish retreat to during day hours.
For you, spend the AM hours flinging flies - then switch to your usual deep water tactics.
Man, you got some good patterns going.

[Vince Fusco]

I am FAR from being a purist Ken. My 4lb 7ft. mono leader would make a true purist shudder, but they are cheap, and work well for me. I fish this on a 8ft.5wt rod with floating level line. 

[Slip Sinker]

i experimented with flourocarbon a little also... it pulled the foam spider right under... i kinda liked the look of the braid floating and so i stuck with it. whenever i talk about it in fishing circles i get a look... lol

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Mono floats, so I use it a lot in floating patterns like spiders.
When I switch to sinking flies and wets, I go to the fluoro.
I think I forgot that part.

[Slip Sinker]

I have this strategy in my mind where drifting across Houghton lake with a tipped spinner /fly rigged on one of my fly rods. Houghton Lake is a trophy bluegill lake here just north of me. It is a shallow basin lake with emergent rice fields in open water far from shore. Fluorocarbon sounds like it would be the leader medium for this setup. I tried last summer casting this on the lawn and had no problems.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Spinner fly is a classic method.
You might also wanna try casting to pockets and irregularities among the rice.
Use a snag resistant wet fly like a Briminator, or Panfish Attractor.
If you ain't wanting to tie them, let me know and I'll send you some.

[carl hendrix]

get 4 more fly rods;;in 3 wts.!!  a LOT more fun!!  and those little 3wts. can handle big fish to!!    if I am correct;;  there are fast action fly rods; and slow action. slow action;; easier to cast; great for beginners;; and advanced  fly fishermen like them to!! 

[Slip Sinker]

i have a 3wt, 4wt, and a 5wt... i really like fishing with the 3 wt... a lot more fun and less fatigue.