In the heat of summer, I go back to my early days of fly fishing as a teenager. An elderly uncle, Demp Ramsey, taught me the art of fly fishing in the summer of 1977. Demp was his given name, but ...

THE FLY LINE straightens out 3 feet above the water, and the popping bug hits the pond with a pleasing splat. I see the popper try to roll over, which tells me I have a bit of twist in the leader that ...

The classic way to fish for bluegill/sunfish (hereinafter referred to generically as bluegills) is casting a size 10 or 12, rubber-legged popping bug or spider with a light fly rod and floating line.

Let's face it, it's hard to beat fishing for bluegill. Watching a cork go under or seeing a popping bug disappear in a splash; it's just plain fun. The icing on the cake comes when the oil gets hot.

Low-light conditions are ideal for poppers. In direct sunlight, bass often hunker down to stay cool and hidden – but when the risk of exposure is lower, they’ll move into shallow water to feed. Cloudy ...

CATCHING FISH ON THE SURFACE ranks at the top of every fly fisherman's list of exciting fishing methods. Beginning in late spring, throughout the summer and into early fall, fly fishing with a popper ...