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Bully’s Bluegill Spider fly pattern
Yellow · rear-weighted · four rubber legs · View the pattern reference ↗

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Wet fly / Pattern notes

Bully’s Bluegill Spider

A yellow chenille body, four rubber legs and rear weighting for a tail-first descent.

Terry and Roxanne Wilson’s sinking panfish pattern puts extra weight toward the bend.

At the vise
Beginner friendly
Common sizes
#8–12
Flies for BassFlies for Panfish
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From hook to fly

At the vise.

4 illustrated steps

Work through the numbered steps in order. Use the written materials and proportions as your guide; select an image for a closer look.

  1. Three rear wire turns and one front turn on a yellow-threaded hook; no body or legs.

    Place the rear weight

    Cover the shank with thread, leaving two eye-lengths clear. Bind wire lengthwise; make three close turns at the rear, a long spiral forward and one front turn. Secure with thread.

  2. A yellow chenille body covers the wire; the front tying space and hook eye remain clear.

    Cover with chenille

    Expose a short chenille core and fasten it at the rear. Wind forward snugly over the wire; secure and cut waste.

    Bench note Leave space for legs and a thread head.

  3. Four yellow rubber leg ends spread from their common front tie-in point.

    Set four legs

    Bind both rubber strands at their middles near the body’s front. Raise the four ends and brace them with thread so they stand away from the shank.

  4. Finished yellow spider with four evenly trimmed rubber legs and a compact thread head.

    Finish and separate

    Shape a small head, whip finish and cut thread. Separate the legs with a bodkin and trim evenly, approximately ⅞ inch each.

    Bench note Keep the eye and hook gap open.

Beyond the bench

On the water.

Let it descend beside cover, then try short pulls with pauses. Watch for a take as it falls. Test its balance in water before fishing.

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Recipe references

Original written instructions adapted from the sources below. Materials and methods may vary between versions.

Portrait reference

Pattern dressings vary; use the written recipe for exact materials and proportions.

Jerry Snider / Buckeye United Fly Fishers — Wilsons’ Bully’s Bluegill Spider ↗

For the same fly box.

Black Laced McGinty fly patternBlack Laced McGintyWet fly · #10–12Carp Hybrid fly patternCarp HybridWet fly · #6–10Comet fly patternCometWet fly · #4–10