August 2025 Fly of the Month - Bluegill Belly Bean

Karen Schneck
Aug 16
2 min read

Fly of the Month Submitted by Karen Schneck

Designed by Paul Beel, the Bluegill Belly Bean is a wildly fun fly to fish and tie. Unlike other flies that imitate insects or fish, this crazy feller is about getting in the fish’s face and attracting them with color, sparkle, and movement. Use this fly to target panfish, carp, and bass.

This was one of the first flies I learned to tie and has become a staple in my fly box. I love how creative I can be with the color combinations. I use it as a “warm up” fly when I start a fly-tying session. It lets me practice wrap techniques, tying on lead eyes, leaving room at the front of the eye to tie in legs, and making dubbing noodles. I hope you have fun testing this one out!

Recipe

Hook: Jig hook size 8-12

Thread: UTC140 black or match body

Eye: Small lead barbell with pupil

Tail 1: Krystal flash

Tail 2: Sili legs small

Body: Estaz chenille

Legs: Sili legs small

Head: Ice dub

Step 1

Start your thread and lay down a thread base along the hook shank. Tie on small lead eyes just before the bend of the hook eye. Secure them by making X wraps, wraps around each barbell, and finally horizontal wraps underneath the eyes.

Step 2

Tail 1: Use one strand of Sili Legs and lay it parallel to the hook shank. Tie it down and cut leaving about half a hook length.

Step 3

Tail 2: Fold two or three strands of Krystal Flash in half. Tie down and trim so it is longer than Tail 1.

Step 4

Body: Strip the end of Estaz Chinelle down leaving a few centimeters of raw thread. Tie down the stripped end. Starting at the very back of the fly, wrap away from you in close touching wraps up the shank. Leave about a hook eye amount of space behind the lead eyes. Tie off.

Step 5

Legs: Using the same Sili Legs from earlier, fold them in half and cut them into two pieces. Hold one piece to the far end of the fly parallel to the shank right behind the eyes. Tie it down in the middle of the leg. Secure the second leg to the near side of the hook. Fold both legs back and secure them. Trim the legs evenly.

Step 6

Head: Create a large dubbing noodle and make several wraps building behind the eyes. Add more dubbing if needed and make X wraps over the eyes. Visible thread over the eyes should be covered.