Simple Yet Effective Trout Streamers?

[steveo27]

Im looking for some ideas for effective yet simple to tie streamers for trout, specifically fall/early winter trout.

I typically fish dries and nymphs, streamers not so much save for wooly buggers and some muddler minnows. I am looking to expand and "chuck some meat" as a lot of people call it.

First off, I know nothing about streamers other than they are big and bulky and some of them look super complicated to tie. I started doing some research, but still have many questions.

I would like to start tying some. Ive been consistently tying for the past year or so now, so I feel I am fairly proficient at tying.

Im gonna keep it simple by asking what are your go to simple streamer patterns?

 

[J55tyger88]

My go to, "simple" pattern for streamers would be a Slumpbuster, with a dubbed body instead of tinsel. It's like 3 materials, and the zonker strip and collar add alot of life to the fly. I find them fairly easy to tie, and hold up pretty well. White, olive, and black have treated me well, especially white.

 

[nomad_archer]

I recently tried a rabbit fur slumpbuster but used silver sparkle braid and it certainly worked.

Last Friday I chucked streams at the sportsmans pond and caught bunches of fish. I used woolly buggers, slumpbuster, a fly that was just a bit of pheasant rump and various pheasant body feathers hackled on the hook.

One I want to try is the squirrel and herl bugger.
https://youtu.be/XeaIoU9ei5g

 

[steveo27]

Thanks dudes!

 

[sandfly]

wooly buggers !

 

[bigjohn58]

I'll second the wooly buggers

 

[steveo27]

Ive got a whole box of olive, black, and rusty brown wooly buggers I fish.

Any other color suggestions?

 

[nomad_archer]

White with grizzly hackle. I caught several on white in clear water. Weighted and unweighted.

 

[McSneek]

steveo27 wrote:
Ive got a whole box of olive, black, and rusty brown wooly buggers I fish.

Any other color suggestions?

I would echo what the others said. I certainly like to tie various patterns but when it comes to effective, not sure there is anything more effective than a woolly bugger. I would add some white ones to your arsenal.

 

[Tiogadog]

Google search for Kreelex Streamer...flashy, but works well

 

[bigjohn58]

I make some wooly buggers with gold chenille, silver chenille, and some other various colors with some flash to imitate minnows and such. Maybe add a little flashabu or something for some flash along with the marabou tail.

 

[JeffK]

In general I like some white, silver or some other minnow color and root beer, olive, or black for an earth tone.

A gray ghost bugger works well for me in the fall (thanks Don Bastian). Orange body, gray hackle and tail, gold oval tinsel rib.

 

[tztrout]

Mickey Finn is a brook trout killer, stocked or wild fish.

 

[LongLineRelease]

Any of the various hollow body minnows tied with synthetic or natural hair. I tie one I use a lot with one color of hair for the back, another for the belly, and flash on the sides. All tied in forward over the eyes. then push it all back with a fish skull. Takes a couple minutes to tie.

Clouser is a similarly easy hair minnow.

 

[SteveG]

Simple, yellow bucktail

 

[steveo27]

I always add some crystal flash to the tails of my buggers, seems very effective.


Yesterday, I stopped and picked up some materials to tie white and silver buggers and some black slumpbusters. Forgot hooks for the slumpbusters though.

What size do you guys tie em in? I have #10 4x streamer hooks at home I use for buggers. I was thinkin #8 4x hooks for the 'busters.

 

[ryguyfi]

Put me in the slumpbuster camp. I have them in at least a dozen colors for trout, steelhead and salmon. Easy to tie and catch fish. That's all I need.

 

[nomad_archer]

I say use what you have but I have them in #6, #8, #10 3x, 4x and even 6x. All depends what is available when I am hook shopping. I am having a hard time finding a 4x streamer hooks in a size I want and price I am willing to pay.

 

[RoddGunn]

Marabou streamers. Always effective and they have natural movement in the water. Yellow, black, and white are good choices.

 

[GenCon]

steveo27 wrote:
Ive got a whole box of olive, black, and rusty brown wooly buggers I fish.

Any other color suggestions?

Thin mint wooly bugger.

GenCon