Both of these flies are best worked close to structure like a log, vegetation or scattered brush. If you'll be working a small pond, you might be surprised at how fast bluegills and other panfish get wise to rubber-legged balsa poppers. That's especially true if the pond or lake gets a good bit of angling pressure. If this is the case, you'll want to go with something that looks totally natural.

A black ant, grasshopper or cricket imitation will fool skittish panfish every time. These imitations are also very good in ponds and lakes that are crystal clear. Clear-water 'gills can be very finicky. That's when you want to go with a 2- to 4-pound-test tippet.

Generally speaking, a smaller fly is best in clear water where the fish can get a good look at what they are about to eat. In that situation, I like to start out with a No. 10 or No. 12 grasshopper imitation. You might also try a No. 14. These small hopper flies don't require any action, if you've got a slight breeze. You can simply cast one out and let the breeze scoot it across the surface. The same thing applies to the cricket fly.

But if you don't have a wind, you can twitch the hopper and cricket flies. It usually won't take much to draw a strike. An ant imitation is an all-time killer on 'gills that simply refuse to take anything else. A No. 14 or No. 16 floating ant won't likely be passed up. The only problem is that you'll catch a lot of small panfish on ants. I'm talking about fish in the 2- to 4-inch class. Ants are especially effective in very clear water.

A sinking ant is also a good choice when the topwater bite subsides. A slow-sinking red or black ant will catch panfish in just about any situation all day long. They are best fished on 2- to 4-pound-test tippet. I'll also fish them a few feet under a tiny foam strike indicator. If you aren't using a strike indicator, just watch for the line to twitch. I'll fish ants on both floating and sink-tip lines.

Woolly Buggers will catch just about anything that swims, especially trout. But if you scale them down in size, say to a No. 10 or 12, an olive- or black-colored Woolly Bugger is tough to beat when going after suspended bluegills. A weighted Woolly Bugger is best for 'gills that are suspended at depths of 4 to 10 feet.

As the water temperature warms, all panfish will move deep. That's when you want to go with a sink-tip or full sinking line. A sink-tip is more user friendly. One of my favorite rigs is a sink-tip line, and a 3-foot section of leader with a 4-pound-test tippet that's tied to a beadhead Woolly Bugger. This rig allows me to work deep structure along a shoreline. Generally, the bites you get on a beadhead Bugger are from some pretty respectable 'gills.

A worm imitation is also a great go-to pattern for suspended and bottom-hugging panfish like bluegills. A No. 10 or 12 San Juan Worm in brown, wine or red is an excellent pattern to use alongside various types of structure like stumps and logs. You can fish this type of worm with or without a split shot. I'll usually start out with no split shot for a more natural presentation. But if the 'gills are holding deep, say 5 to 10 feet, I'll pinch on enough split shot to get the worm down to the action, without wasting a whole lot of time.

The main thing you want to remember, when going after panfish like bluegills, is to keep your tippet as light as possible. A 4 weight is fine, though a 2 weight is likely better. That's especially important if you'll be using slow-sinking flies like an ant or worm. The thin diameter line will sink faster. Also, the lightweight tippet won't kill the action of a popper or slider.

Catching assorted panfish, specifically bluegills, on lightweight fly rods is a hoot. I've been using a 2-weight, 7 1/2-foot fly rod for years. The next best thing is to go with a 1 weight. Catching panfish is all about having fun. The super lightweight rods allow even the smallest panfish to show its muscle. A 4-weight rod is about as heavy as you want to go. Otherwise, you'll overpower the fish and cut down on the action.

The patterns discussed here will work throughout the summer months from top to bottom. Get three or four of each of the flies mentioned and you'll be set for some classic panfish angling.