Whitlock's Bass Bug School w/ Allen Rupp

Some days Bass want a loud topwater fly that pops and gurgles, and some days they don't. For those days when you need a splat and want some noise to attract the big ones, Dave's Waking Bluegill is the ticket. On the days when those pops and gurgles send fish running, the savviest anglers pull out a subtle fly, like Dave's Bullet Head Waking Minnow. The most important thing is to let the fish decide for you. In this class you'll tie one of each pattern. The Waking Bluegill sits flat on the surface, showing a Bass the full profile of an easy, wounded bluegill lying on its side. Give it a strip and it rolls up and swims like the real thing, then settles flat again when you pause. Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted, and Striped Bass all eat it, and once you've watched a big Bass blow up on one, you'll fall in love with this fly too. The eats are so vicious. Dave's Bullet Head Waking Minnow is for those days when the fish are skittish. This fly lands softly on the water and just wakes across the surface when you strip it. It is a simple fly, but don't let that simplicity fool you. This is a hands-on class built around Dave's unique way of tying deer hair, the material most tyers are half-afraid of. You will find it easier than any other way you've ever tried. You'll also get your hands on Icelandic sheep hair, some of the softest, most supple material out there, and see exactly why it makes the Waking Bluegill swim and breathe the way it does. You'll walk out with both flies tied to Dave's exacting standards, a bottle of Zap-A-Gap, and a one-year Trout Unlimited membership or extension. More than $75 of value, and new deer hair skills you'll use for the rest of your tying life. Twelve seats. The surface bite is worth every one of them.