In the middle of Gurgler tying land, I noticed that I tend to render my bugs far sparser than most of the ones I see in bins. No surprise there — sparse is how I usually roll — but it’s also because I learned to tie them from Jack Gartside’s website. You can see how the pattern’s creator tied them here.
These ones below are just like the ones I use for smallmouth bass. They’re the same as Jack’s original recipe, save for the hook. Instead of a long shank, I’m using a Gamakatsu B10S stinger hook which is light, strong, and sticky sharp out of the box.
Gartside Gurglers lovingly rendered in white. I can’t say that color is critical, but I will choose different colors based on light level and water clarity, and sometimes for my own visual reference. It’s a high confidence pattern, and is often on everyone’s Top Ten list when it comes to topwater smallmouth flies.
currentseams.com 
Gurglers are AWESOME, as are most Gartside flies. Those are gorgeous Steve, smallies, or perhaps a striped bass or two, would love those things!
Thanks, Will. Trying to do Jack proud. Some day I will post the recipe for my grass shrimp micro Gurgler…
a friend of mine ties a variation on the gurgler- smallies and largemouth just crush it.
as an experiment- I was fishing for largemouth and started with a taps popper- it was eaten but not enough. switch to the gurgler- couldnt keep them off it . great bug.
Let’s hear about that variant! Also, Jack has a LMB/SMB Gurgler variant with a marabou tail and some rubber legs.
my friend puts on the rubber legs and tail- drives the bass nuts- great for big bluegills too.
Steve just got back from Alaska and a Pink Gurgler was the hot top water fly for Silver Salmon.
Good to know. I hear pink is the magic color up there. I’d be curious if anyone fished other colors with different results.
Yes Pink is the magic color. No one fished anything else. You have to make the trip to fish for
Silvers. Then there are the kings which is another story. Bill