The Gurgler, from the legendary Boston tyer Jack Gartside, is the easiest and most fun way to fish topwater on a fly rod. A strip of foam folded over the body creates a lip that pushes water and leaves a wake, so a simple retrieve makes the fly gurgle and skitter across the top, and the surface eats from bass and blues are unforgettable.
What it imitates
The Gurgler suggests a fleeing or injured baitfish struggling on the surface. It is not a precise imitation so much as a commotion-maker, and that disturbance, the wake and gurgle, is exactly what draws a predator up to smash it.
How to fish it
Fish it on a floating line with a steady strip to make it wake, or a pop-and-pause to make it spit and sit. Early and late in the day, over shallows, flats and around structure, is prime. Resist setting on the splash, wait until you feel the weight of the fish, or you will pull it away.
Tip On a topwater eat, do not trout-set to the visual. Keep stripping until you feel the fish load the line, then strip-set. Setting to the splash pulls the fly out of the fish's mouth more often than not.
Sizes and colors
White, yellow, olive or black, tie or buy it in a size that pushes enough water for the conditions (bigger and louder in chop, smaller and subtler on calm flats). For a harder-popping surface option, see the Crease Fly.