Tying
a Bass Gurgler
By Richard
Carter
The Bass Gurgler fly (or in other
words the 'foam backed woolly bugger') was developed in the US,
but as my fishing dairies can attest our Australian bass plus
lots of saltwater species have a hankerin' for the Gurgler too.
This fly would be classed as an attractor fly. It also imitates
terrestrial life forms that have crash landed on the top of the
water in our sweet water locations and in our saltwater regions
it imitates panicking baitfish splashing around on the surface.
I like to use wide gape hooks for sweet water applications and
strong forged hooks for the saltwater.
Once on Lake Glenbawn near Scone,
NSW after a hard first days fishing for little result, my mate
and I stealthfully entered a backwater cove of the dam very early
the next morning. The rays of sun were just starting to make
their presence felt. First cast, for a change, was perfectly
placed at the base of a series of upright submerged trees. I
let it sit there till all the ripples had disperse, gave it a
short but steady strip. I let it sit again till all ripples had
gone. Just as I started the fly to move for the second strip
the water opened up under it and I was on to the first bass for
the day. Such a pleasure to do everything right for change and
better yet to have the right fly to do it. This is now my number
one surface fly for Australian bass and many other species in
the salt like tailor, salmon, rat kings and other pelagics (Queenies
go crazy for it). Up north this fly tied in white would rock
the very foundations with the action it would create. You can
make it pop with short sharp strips, better still you can make
it gurgle oh so seductively with a even medium paced long strip
- drives the fish out of their minds trying to grab it. Don't
ya just love it! I can feel the adrenalin rush now just thinking
about it.
The main materials of the fly
are the tail material of marabou or polarfibre, body material
of chenille or wool, a palmered saddle hackle and a strip of
computer mouse pad foam for the back and head. As I work in the
computer industry (only to help pay for my fly fishing obsession),
I have plenty of mouse pads available for the foam backs for
this type of fly. I am sure you will be able to find one or two
hanging about your work that have been discarded once the cloth
mat on the top got a little tatty or dirty. You can also get
white, blue and dark grey foam sheeting from Clark Rubber stores
in a variety of thicknesses. For the more adventurous of you
who like a bit of fancy colour in your flies - go to those 'el
cheapo' or two dollar shops and find yourself some kids bath
toys made out of closed cell foam - the whole palate of colours
is there for all your colour combinations you may like to attempt.
Bass Gurgler Recipe
Hook : Gamakatsu B10S
- trout stinger, wide gape, black finish
Thread : Black flat waxed or bug thread
Tail : Black Marabou
Body : Super Salt or plain, ice or cactus chenille. Maybe
just the right coloured wool.
Hackle : Black saddle hackle
Back and head : Thin black foam (recycled mouse pad foam
works just great)
Tying Notes
Lay down thread, advance
thread to hook bend then tie in a clump of marabou for the tail
of the fly. Take your mouse pad and cut a strip of foam appropriate
for hook size and weight - usually equal in width to or about
two-thirds of the hook gape. Cut a point on one end and cut the
shoulder off the point (see picture).
Tie in one end of foam strip, by the pointed tip, at the hook
bend with the foam extending over tail. Tie in hackle tip at
hook bend. Tie in chenille, again at hook bend (or wool). Advance
thread to hook eye and then back 1/5th of hook shank length away
for the hook eye. With your chosen body material form an even
body along the hook shank to the point where the thread is hanging.
Tie off and trim excess body material.
Palmer body with hackle, tie off and trim excess hackle. Fold
foam over body and hackle. Wrap loosely the foam with the thread
three or four times, then as you stretch the foam over the top
of the body, tighten the thread steadily to ensure you don't
cut the foam with the thread. Tie off your thread under the head
area and trim excess thread.
Again stretching the foam over the hook eye, trim excess foam,
to form head, just past the hook eye. Use your curved scissors
for this, concave side inwards. I also trim the bottom edge of
the head to give the surface fly a more subtle noise. I do this
for those times when the hard body poppers seems to scare off
the fish, especially on those ultra still mornings. This little
trimming off the bottom edge can make all the difference to the
sessions results.
Eyes are optional, I suggest using those dolls eyes with the
black bits that rattle around, just super glue them to the sides
of the head area. They do add a bit more noise and also profile
to the fly.
Other variations tied are usually
related to the colour and size of the fly. Like using chartreuse
foam over green or orange body materials gives a good green bomber
cicada imitation. As for their use, I usually fish this fly on
full length floating lines. Because of the fly's aerodynamics,
plus the tight and mean structures your target species may be
residing in, I use my larger weight fly rods - 7 weight and up
as they handle the fish and the needed casting distance better
then the light weight rods. Rocket taper fly lines also help
in the delivery of the fly to your target area. Remember to be
the bug in you bass situations, make you fly act like a large
cicada on the surface. Hey! It could hurt - Be the Bug.
Long casts, tight lines and fast
hard fish to you all. Richard.
