Around here most of the bigger gills, read hand size, I catch either fall
to a size 4 Sneaky Pete or to minnow patterns. With the colder water it
might be tough to get them interested in a Sneaky Pete, but a slowly stripped
minnow pattern might do it. I tie mine out of artificial hairs, like
Polar Fiber, Mirror Image, Fuzzy Fiber. They run from 1 1/2 to 3 inches
long.
Here's one tied out of Polar Fiber.
I also like small Crease flies, 1 to 2 inches long. Fished on a
sinking line these can be fished like a suspending twitch/jerk bait. My
best day on a lake came at special panfish reg one. Caught a dozen
cookie cutter gills that measured 10 inches long and 7 inches wide(from top
fin to belly). These all fell to a fly I call an Estaz Bug.
As far as the Adams goes, I've been tying for a few years, and was never
really good with wings. If they keep giving you trouble, tie a Parachute
Adams instead.
Jerry C
"All things considered, I'd rather be in Philadelphia."
That's true..
Older they get the smarter they get...Maybe they were hooked a
time or
two when they were young, but got away, so they know what a hook
looks
like. And like you say, the size that I call "butterbeans" will
eat
anything, from tiny things and big things.. I've caught those tiny
ones on
huge bass lures before.. I wish that was true with ME ,The
getting smarter
as I get older part..LOL
Chuck
