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Jack Gartside created the Gurgler pattern some 20+ years ago, and since its inception there have been hundreds of other variations that have proved successful for both fresh and saltwater applications.  Jack first introduced this fly while trying to convince laid up Tarpon and Redfish to take a Crab Pattern.  At first this pattern was tied extremely bulky to imitate the bulk of the crabs he was trying to imitate but as the years progressed he refined his pattern to more or less imitate small bait fish and shrimp.   The interesting aspect of the Gurgler is that it was originally introduced with a Marabou tail instead of the traditional dear hair tail.  By switching to buck tail Jack was able to remove most of the bulk in the fly which allowed him to present the pattern more softly in the water. 

Here along the Nature Coast the Gurgler has always been considered one of the premier flies when targeting Redfish, Speckled Trout, Tarpon, Mackerel, Bonita, Jack Crevalle and even Grouper.  With such a variety of available sizes and imitations this fly is truly a great multi purpose fly for all fly anglers fishing the waters off of Crystal River, Homosassa, and Bayport.  This pattern is considered at its best when in all white, but variations in tan and black have proven to be deadly when fishing both early morning and late evening.

When most fly anglers consider using the Gurgler they more or less tend to use this pattern when spot casting for Speckled Trout.  The fact that this fly makes plenty of noise and does a great job of disturbing the water is probably the main reason for choosing this fly, but some anglers still don’t realize how deadly this fly is when targeting Redfish in extremely shallow water.

Think about this:  The basic purpose of this fly is to fish extremely shallow waters and get the attention of feeding fish.  Considering that most of the Redfishing that occurs along the Nature Coast is done in water less than a foot, this make all the sense when choosing this fly for targeting tailing Redfish.  When targeting Redfish, especially tailing Redfish a lot of times they will be so transfixed on a small area that you may literally have to bump them on the head with some type of sinking fly to get a reaction.  The Gurgler however provides such a light presentation that it will not spook a feeding Redfish, but the gurgling noise the fly makes when stripped will definitely get the attention of a curious Redfish.

The Gurgler is a very easy fly to tie and with so many variations proving successful fly anglers should have no problem finding a size or color combination that could lead to your next hook up.  If you are interested in watching a few styles being tied or if you’re in need of materials to tie your next trophy fly feel free to swing on by the Nature Coast Fly Shop in Crystal River.

Materials                                                                      

Hook: Mustad 34011, size 4, 2, 1
Tail: Bucktail, color to match foam body
Body: Closed cell foam, double the length of the hook shank – half tied to the shank, half folded over (from hook bend to eye) as the back. Typical foam width for this pattern is 1/8.                                Legs: Pearl Estaz to match foam
Thread: Danville flat waxed nylon, color to match the foam body
Weedguard: 30 lb Mason Hard mono

Instructions

 

Step 1: Cut a strip of foam that measures 1/2" to 5/8" wide.

 

Step 2: Start your thread right behind the eye of the hook and lay down a thread base on the shank of the hook of approximately half of the shank of the hook.

 

Step 3: Tie the buck tail hairs at the position where you stopped the thread.

 

Step 4: Lay the foam over the top of the hook shank. Leave some between the tip of the foam and the back of the eye of the hook. Where you tied in your tail make a wrap around the foam and pull the thread tight but not so tight as to break the thread. Now make several more wraps around the foam at the same location

 

Step 5: With your thread make 5 distinct and evenly spaced segments, cupping the foam around the hook as you wind the thread forward. At the spots where you have made the segments with your thread make sure that you wrap that particular area more than once with your thread.  On the last segment, make sure that you wrap down the tip of the foam with your thread.

 

Step 6: Wind your thread back to the rear where you put in the first segment by wrapping your thread in between the segments.

 

Step 7: Wrap in your Pearl Estaz covering the exposed foam.

 

Step 8: Bring the foam forward over the top of the body and tie down securely just behind the eye of the hook.

 

Step 9: Trim the lip to the desired length and whip finishing. Trimming the lip can be done in various ways. The usual way is just a simple cut. You may want to round the corners.