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Exact original white Gartside Gurgler in a vise with a segmented foam shell, forward lip, palmered body, and sparse tailReal photo · Original Gurgler

Saltwater · guide 113

Gartside Gurgler

Jack Gartside's original one-piece-foam surface commotion fly: sparse tail, five segmented foam sections, palmered hackle, over-shell, and a raised front lip.

Common size
Original saltwater recipe: #4–2/0, Original freshwater recipes: #6–2 or #2–1/0 on Gartside's listed hooks, Later trout miniatures can be smaller but are not the original saltwater recipe
Common colors
original white, yellow, black, other baitfish or species variants only when explicitly labeled
Imitates
distressed or fleeing baitfish, general surface prey, an attractor or commotion signal rather than one exact species
How to recognize it

Confirm the original architecture, not merely a foam topwater: one strip of closed-cell foam forms both the five-segment body and the shell pulled over it, tied behind the eye with a raised forward lip; a sparse bucktail or marabou tail carries pearl flash; and white or grizzly hackle is palmered between the segments. A rigid cupped Popper, folded Crease Fly shell, two-layer Double Gurgler, leg-heavy Bass Gurgler, flatwing, worm, or sand-eel form must remain separately labeled.

Jack Gartside's official archive traces the Gurgler to a spring 1988 Bahamas variation of his Hoverbugger. Leaving an upturned foam lip made the fly dance, push water, and gurgle; his later standard form used a longer shank, bucktail, a Glimmer overlay, and a slimmer baitfish profile.
Exact original white Gartside Gurgler in a vise with a segmented foam shell, forward lip, palmered body, and sparse tail
Real photo · exact pattern

Original Gurgler

Exact source-identified original Gurgler designed by Jack Gartside. It is the gallery's only exact Gurgler photograph; the Popper and Deceiver that follow are named comparisons, not Gurgler variants.

View
exact pattern — original Jack Gartside Gurgler side profile
Color shown
white foam, white tail and hackle, pearl flash, and small chartreuse accents
Look for
One foam strip forms the segmented shell and extended front lip over a sparse tail and palmered body, producing the source-identified original profile.
Open full-size photo ↗

On the water

Know when and how to fish it.

Use these tips as a starting point. The river, depth, insects, and fish behavior still decide the final presentation.

01

Why it works

  • The raised flexible lip pushes water and creates visible and audible surface disturbance that is less blunt than a deep cupped Popper and more assertive than a quiet slider.
  • Closed-cell foam holds the fly at the surface while palmered hackle, the sparse tail, and pearl flash continue moving during pauses.
  • Lip height, foam width, hook mass, tail, and retrieve change sound, wake, and riding depth, which is why materially different variants need accurate names.
02

When to use it

  • On smooth or calm water when a wake and gurgle will remain visible and fish are near the surface or in shallow search lanes.
  • Around verified small baitfish or other surface forage, or as a general surface search fly after matching overall prey length and profile before color.
  • For bass, trout, or panfish only with an appropriately scaled freshwater form; use hooks, leader, tackle, and handling practices suited to the target in salt water.
03

How to fish it

  • When fish are visibly feeding, retrieve slowly: make a discrete gurgle, then leave a meaningful pause so the fly stays in the feeding lane.
  • When searching, use faster or more frequent gurgles and vary rhythm, speed, and pause length; give a close follower time to commit before lifting the fly.
  • In current, cast across or slightly upstream and combine dead drift with occasional twitches while line control and rod-tip position steer the path.
  • Around largemouth cover, let the landing rings fade before slow twitches and long pauses; in smallmouth current, begin with a more active cross-current retrieve.
04

Mistakes to avoid

  • Calling every foam topwater a Gartside Gurgler.
  • Using multiple foam pieces while claiming the original one-strip construction.
  • Overbuilding the tail or body until the sparse, castable baitfish silhouette disappears.
  • Treating a tall lip and loud retrieve as universal in chop or around wary fish.
  • Presenting the Bass Popper or Lefty's Deceiver comparisons as additional exact Gurgler photographs.

At the vise

Tie this version.

Original White Gartside Gurgler · intermediate

This guide follows Gartside's original white, one-piece-foam construction. Double Gurglers, Bass Gurglers, flatwings, worm or cinder-worm forms, sand-eel versions, trout miniatures, and other colors are distinct labeled variations.

Materials

Hook
Saltwater Mustad 34011 or 34007, #4–2/0; freshwater Mustad 37187 stinger, #2–1/0, or Mustad 9674/3406, #6–2, as specified by Gartside
Thread
White Danville 3/0 or Monocord
Tail
Very sparse white bucktail or marabou, about 1.5 shank lengths, plus five or six strands of pearl Glimmer or Krystal Flash
Body and shell
One strip of white closed-cell foam, roughly 1/2–3/4 inch wide for most listed sizes and at least 1/8 inch thick; size it to cup the selected hook cleanly
Rib and hackle
White or grizzly saddle hackle, prepared for palmering between five foam segments

Steps

  1. Attach thread behind the eye and wind to about mid-shank. Tie a sparse bucktail tail, or a fuller marabou tail, at mid-shank to about 1.5 shank lengths while leaving the rear half of the shank bare as Gartside specifies.
  2. Tie five or six pearl-flash strands at their midpoint at the tail base, fold the forward half back over the tail, and secure it.
  3. Cut one four- to five-inch foam strip sized to the hook. Lay it flat along the shank and bind it so the front end stops short of the eye and two to three inches trail rearward; this single strip must form both body and shell.
  4. Bind five distinct, evenly spaced segments while cupping the foam around the shank, then work the thread rearward between the segments so hackle can later sit in those gaps.
  5. At the rear segment, tie in a saddle feather by the tip with one side stripped. Move thread forward between the segments, palmer the hackle through those gaps, and secure it behind the eye.
  6. Pull the trailing foam forward over the top and tie it snugly behind the eye. Bring the flash over the shell, secure it at the same point, and trim excess flash.
  7. Whip finish and trim a forward lip about one-half inch long or proportionate to the hook. A straight cut is standard; rounded corners can reduce wind resistance and spinning.

Tying sources: Tying the Gurgler ↗, The Hoverbug Variations ↗

Common variations

Small changes can make a different fly.

One verified, non-AI CC BY-SA 4.0 exact photograph shows Mike Cline's source-identified original Gurgler designed by Jack Gartside. A separately named Bass Popper and Lefty's Deceiver are explicit head-action and baitfish-profile comparisons; neither is another Gurgler or a second exact viewing angle.

Original White Gurgler

The exact photographed form shows the source-identified one-strip segmented foam shell, raised lip, white palmered body, sparse pale tail, and pearl flash.
Colors shown
white, pearl, small chartreuse accents
Weighting
Surface-oriented exact form; hidden ballast and hook size cannot be determined from the photograph.

Olive Bass Popper identity comparison

A separately named rigid recessed-cup surface fly showing a bulkier head and louder popping action than the Gurgler's thin flexible lip.
Colors shown
olive, gold, dark hackle
Weighting
Comparison only; not a Gurgler.

Lefty's Deceiver baitfish comparison

A separately named flowing baitfish fly that shares a prey lane but lacks the Gurgler's segmented foam shell and wake-making lip.
Colors shown
chartreuse, white, flash
Weighting
Comparison only; not a Gurgler. The reviewed Deceiver has no built-in weight visible.

Related patterns

Crease Fly ↗Warmwater Surface Bug Patterns ↗Bass and Panfish Popper Patterns ↗Saltwater Baitfish Fly Patterns ↗

How this guide was checked

Fly information and photo sources.

Guide checked on 2026-07-13. Every image has its own source and usage record. Natural insects and hand-tied flies can vary in shape and proportion.

Pattern sources

Jack Gartside official archiveTying the Gurgler↗Fly Fishers InternationalSaltwater Fly Tying Manual↗Jack Gartside official archiveThe Hoverbug Variations↗Jack Gartside official archiveGurgler Fishing in Salt Water and Fresh↗Orvis Fly Fishing Learning CenterGurgler Pattern and Tying Instructions↗

Image credits