Got Buggers?

[mike_richardson]

I am a nymph fisherman and tyer at heart but always enjoyed tying buggers. I am really working them in to my fly fishing lately and would say I am now more of a 95% nymph fisherman, and 5% anything else. LOL

They are easy and you can tie up thousands of different color schemes. I realized though last night that I am not a huge fan of the "Wooly Bugger Saddle Hackle". I am awaiting a material order of a ton of different colors of marabou, 7" Chinese saddle hacke, and a bunch of different colors and types of chenille.

I think what draws me to tying buggers is all of the variety you can make, and the fact that pretty much any fresh water fish will hit them. Not to mention they can represent so many different aquatic organisms. Hellgrammites, Crayfish, minnow, leeches, bait fish, You cant really beat the suggestive nature of these.

You can get about 20 different types of chenille for them as well. Cactus, Ice dub, standard, you name it and they have it. You can by 3 different colors of marabou, 3 different colors of saddle hackle, 3 different colors of chenille, and three different colors of chenille, and come up with hundreds of combinations. I like to stack the marabou tails and such to give them the dark to light color scheme that is present on a lot of different bait fish.

I am on a bugger kick and wanted to share the ones I tied up last night.

I love dumbbell eyes on my buggers. Now I like to fish them hook point down, but its not tough to flip the eyes when you have a regal or any rotating vise for that matter. I only do this as when I work a bugger I like to lift it up and twitch and let it drop back down. I have had a lot of fish come up and hit it from underneath that IMO I may have missed if I fished it the other way. I know you may get a few more snags this way but no big deal just go home and knock out a few more flies. LOL At least that my story and I'm sticking to it.

I am really liking the look of the blue and white bugger. I think I may try that pattern in about 10 different colors. Tons of crank baits and EPS type streamers have that two tone white bottom and (insert color here) top.

Also I tied for the first time a "Minnow Grey" Bugger. I gave it some orange dumbbell eyes to set it off. I think that pattern will knock them dead.

Thanks for the look. My material order should be in today so look for some wild buggers to be added to this thread in the next few weeks.

I like to tie mine in size 6 and 8. Ill go to size 10 sometimes, but size 12 are not a fun tie at all, but little natives love them in all black, and all white.

 

[mike_richardson]

The blue I uses is called King Fisher Blue. I love it and cant wait to test it on trout. I really think it will be a good Crappie fly as well. I have some size 4 streamer hooks I am going to try for smallies and bass as well.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

Nymph fishing can be great but streamer fishing is addictive.

 

[mike_richardson]

next thing I want to learn is articulated streamers

 

[GenCon]

They all look good Mike. They are always a good choice.

GenCon

 

[Grape]

Those look fantastic! I really like the white/blue

 

[nomad_archer]

Those look great. My buggers dont come out looking that good. I tie more slumpbusters and mohair leeches because they always seem to work.

I too have been thing about learning to tie articulated streamers. I need to find an economical hook. Every video I watch the gamakatsu B10S seem to be popular but I just dont want to spend the $6-$7 for a pack 25 hooks. I just have a hard time spending that on a pack of hooks for whatever reason.

 

[melvinp]

Try tying the same pattern on a jig hook it will let you drag it across the bottom with out getting hung up.I use schlappen feather for the rap,estaz for the body and rubber legs just after the mid point.Ive found the schlappen is a little softer and gives more movement and the estaz gives a little more flash(I like UV) and the rubber legs just make everthing better.But its just a bugger.Try spinning your body wrap and hackel feather at the same time it hides the feather in the body wrap and makes it a lot tougher and nicer looking.

 

[mike_richardson]

Thanks for the tips on wrapping the feather. Im going to try that on my next batch of buggers. I just checked and my material should be on the back porch.