Woolly Bugger

The Swiss Army Knife of flies, the Woolly Bugger catches just about everything. From trout to bass you should always have a few of these in your box. One of the more basic patterns and fairly easy to learn to tie. More people probably learn to tie this pattern then any other and this Saturday at our kids day bring your young ones in and we’ll have everything they need to attempt to tie one.

Hook: Daiichi 1720 size 6
Bead: 4mm or 5/32” bead
Weight: Lead wire .025
Tail: Wooly bugger marabou
Tail Flash: Krystal flash, pearl
Body: Speckled chenille
Rib: ultra wire, copper size Brassie
Hackle: Bugger Hackle or Rooster Cape
Thread: Match the color of the body

Start by placing the bead on the hook then wrapping 7-12 turns of lead wire around the shank. Push the lead so it slides all the way to the bead. Now use your thread to make a dam on back side of the lead so it doesn’t slide around. Tie in a clump of marabou for the tail, starting at the back of the lead and tying it down the length of the shank. Attach a couple strands of Krystal Flash to each side of the tail and cut them to the length of the tail. Now tie in from the lead to the start of the tail your chenille and wire leaving about 6 inch of material out the back of the fly. Then wrap the chenille up the body of the fly leaving a small gap between it and the eye of the fly. Tie in the hackle feather near the base of the stem right behind the eye of the fly. Wrap this feather back to the tail, 5-8 turns should do. Now use the wire that was tied in earlier and wrap this up the fly to hold down the hackle. Tie the wire off by the eye, whip finish and glue.