Fly Tying: Gartside’s Gurgler

Fly Tying: Gartside’s Gurgler

By Andrew Derr, Video by Tight Line Video

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ack Gartside’s Gurgler is an effective fly that has great action either pushing a small wake when stripped slow or popped when stripped quickly. You can fish it many ways in freshwater or saltwater, cold water or warm. Versatile to the extreme. So many species fall for this fly.

Lately, I have have been fishing it for blitzing bass during the Montauk Fall Run. It works, and it is so fun to watch fish fall for its action. Easy to tie and reasonably durable, no box should be without a few.

Considered one of the most talented and innovative fly tyers of the modern era, Gartside was taught how to tie flies at the age of 10 by Ted Williams, the Boston Red Sox outfielder. Among his best-known original patterns are the Sparrow, the Soft Hackle Streamer, the Pheasant Hopper, the Gartside Leech, the FishHead, and the Gurgler.