thoughts on my buggers

[stevehalupka]

I mentioned it before that my tying lacks skill, and I've been whipping up some streamers for stockies. This is what I get for having 3 friends who are all passionate about tying.

I know the tail is a bit long, but I personally think cutting the maribou to the right size takes away from the movement in the water. If I start getting a lot of short strikes, I'll surely just shorten up when I tie it rather than cutting. I know I also need work on not crowding my eye, but other than that, have any tips?

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Steve,

I certain that fly will catch fish. Please take these observations for what they are worth, which is about nothing, but I'd personally do a thing or two differently.

The length of the tail is fine, but if that were my fly I'd have a much more dense and full tail on it and I'd add some krystal flash to the tail. It isn't necessary but I like to add it.

I personally would also look for some shorter fibered webbier hackle to use when palmering the body. To me the hackle you used looks a bit stiff and almost dry fly like in quality?. I like soft crappy hackle on wooly buggers so it flows and breathes around the fly when it's wet.

You'll find what works for you and the fish soon enough. I don't tie the greatest flies myself but I can tie a productive fly, and that is all that really counts.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[Maurice]

The hackles a little long and palmered backwards....that is to say the underside of the feather should face the rear of the hook. You can tell by the direction of the curl in the barbules.

Remember it this way, Wet flys place the concave to the bend, Dry flys, place the concave to the eye.

Like Mr Murphy, I too like a bushier tale. Take the marabou plume and stroke it by holdin gthe but end and pinching near you anchor hand and pull back to get the barbules tight to the stem. Do this a few times then stop half way and pinch it with your anchor hand up against your fingers in your stroke hand. then measure it by putting your fingertips at the eye and see hol long it is along the hook shank. Keep adjusting it untll you have the tail at the length of the shank and then trade back to your left hand and tie it in.

This will give you the proper length for your tails.

 

[buffalo7]

As Maurice was telling you about measureing for tail length, you will only need to do that in the beginning later on you will be able to get it right without even thinking about it. The main thing other than length is getting the tails nice and bushy. (look at some pics. to get an idea)

Try some out be fore you tie a lot of them, the main thing about a wooly bugger is the tail action. You can fish them in different ways, but when you test them, give them short jerks and check to see how the tail does. Then when you get an idea how mutch marabu to use, then you can start tying a bunch of them.

 

[stevehalupka]

Thanks dudes... yea it's grizzly hackle. I'm a poor college student days away from graduation with a little one on the way, and at 30 dollars a neck, I'm kinda limited on funds for multiple styles of hackle.

I tied a few with a lot more tail, shorter, without clipping. I have a clear plastic bottle and always test my fly action in it. I feel not clipping the tail lets it breath as Mr. Murphy speaks of the hackle action. I will work with everything you guys have added.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Steve,

A nice alternative for the chenille body is Estaz or Ice chenille. It has bits of krystal flash in it to add color and pizzazz to the fly. Hook and Hackle has some nice variegated chenille too.

I just want to add a note to say save your $ 30.00 neck. For $ 30.00 you can buy 4 or 5, maybe even 6 packs of strung Chinese saddle hackle in different colors as it usually runs about $ 4.00 to 6.00 a pack.

That's what I use for wooly buggers. Black, brown, and chartreuse are my primary colors. Black and brown work with many different body colors. If you like the variegation you get from grizzly hackle that is also available as strung saddle hackle dyed in many colors.

If you are tying them in smaller sizes like 8's and 10's you can even get away with imported hen necks at about $ 5.00 to $ 6.00 a pop.

If you buy strung hackle you can use the tip end of the feather for smaller flies and save the left over section for use on larger flies.

I too was a poor college student a long time ago so I know these things. I'm still using the last pack of 60 cent muskrat dubbing I bought from FFP circa 1978. ;-)

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[buffalo7]

stevehalupka wrote:

I tied a few with a lot more tail, shorter, without clipping.

The natural ends on the marabu taper down a little and have a lot more action. soft hackle, like hen hackle is better, but I'm like you, I use what I have. If your fishing a wooly bugger and the fish tear the hackle off of it, don't change it keep on fishing, it works good without it also.

 

[Maurice]

Saddles for buggers are like $5-$10 bucks for a neck....but you can use old #1 -#2 neck feathers that don't make drys....just point the barbs to the rear and they will lay down.

After your child is a year old and you have a job, buy some soft saddles for some bad-*** buggers.

Oh and as my mentor told me....the ONLY material you EVER trim after its tied in is the little red tag on your maribou streamer. If you trim a woolly bugger tail you did it wrong.

 

[stevehalupka]

cool deal... i guess I'm gonna have to cut my local dealer out of the market for good now lol.. tying materials were the only thing keeping me there, and we've developed a trustful friendship, so it will be difficult even finding a way to get in there now except for the occassional brew.

 

[pete41]

here is one to try-deadly night fly fished deep with a gentle pumping motion.http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q228/EDO17/BL-BlackLeech10Mustad9672.jpg

 

[gfen]

Buggers with peacock herl bodies look very nice. Bead chain eyes add a good little effect, too.

One of those Whiting Farms grab bags of feather castoffs has been a super buy for me. For like $10, I got a range of soft saddles for all sorts of stupidity in a range of colours.

 

[jayL]

Get some whiting bugger hackle and follow the procedure on the back. Some strung marabou with even-ish tips for the tail. Instant sexy bugger.

I would use that fly during the white flies (if a few survive stockie duty). I would think it would be killer with some floatant.