Time to size up

[melvinp]

Time to size up on your Wooly buggers from 8 and 10 to 6,4 and 2 the hellgrammites are on the move

 

[JeffP]

I fish buggers all the time but honestly never think much about what they imitate. Do you think hellgrammites are a major trout food in some streams?

 

[Baron]

Hey Mel,
How do you work a WB if you're trying to imitate a Hellgramite? Especially in current.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

From Trout Pro...

Presentation:
The hellgrammite fly should be fished in the riffles or any fast moving water. You can present the hellgrammite pattern in exactly the way that you would present a mayfly clinger fly pattern. It is necessary to weight the fly to keep it swimming near the bottom. I have found that lifting the rod slightly brings the hellgrammite up and then lowering the rod lets the fly drop to the bottom. This action will mimic the graceful motion of a swimming hellgrammite. "High stickin" in high fast water will also work.

 

[Baron]

Well I can do that but wouldn't a real hellgrammite be walking carefully on the bottom.
And would they not also be in pools.

Furthermore I have no instincts on fly selection. Many, to me, look the same and one is called a hellgrammite and the next is a wooly bugger and the next is an articulated hellgrammite/leech. DOES THE DIFFERENCES REALLY MATTER? Can I just use a #6,8 or 10 WB?

 

[troutbert]

The OP probably was talking about smallmouth fishing on the Susquehanna River.

But no matter. Wooly Buggers work well for both trout and bass.

 

[Steeltrap]

Wooly bugger = hellgrammite = crayfish = caterpillar = whatever it looks like underwater in fast or slow water or clear or murky water.

 

[Baron]

Steel trap so I wasn’t going crazy. I’ll try them All until I’m catching

 

[jifigz]

I basically never fish a bugger smaller than size 6. It's 6 and up for me. More weight, bigger profile, more action, I just catch a lot more fish on them than on smaller buggers.

 

[Baron]

For What species, all? Stock trout as well?

 

[melvinp]

This time of year the hellgrammite travels from the water to bank to start the molting process so that means more bugs are moving though the currents and getting flushed down stream by the current,They just don't crawl across the bottom they swim,bounce,crawl and float so you can pretty much do anything with the good old wooly.I do tie my buggers pretty full using schlappen instead of roster hackel It just moves more and if there are hellgrammites in the water system they are a very important source of food for all the fish species.

 

[Baron]

When we talk Hellgramite are we also including Damsel, Dobson and snake doctor crawlers? don't they all occur in the same places and all go ashore btwn now and, what, mid-tune?

 

[sandfly]

The wooley bugger was invented to imitate the hellgramite for trout and bass in the late 60's/early 70's.

 

[Baron]

Sandfly now ya dun it. you made me have to go and research it. I had always though that the Hellgrammite referred to all three different insects: Damsel, Dragonfly and Dobson fly. And I thought they were just different in size according to the size of each final product. I live where the Dobson version is very prevalant and easy to find under rocks. I can't stand handling them or hooking them. Now I see that the Wooly Bugger distinctly is representing the Dobson fly crawler.

Thanks.

 

[Dave_W]

Baron wrote:
Sandfly now ya dun it. you made me have to go and research it. I had always though that the Hellgrammite referred to all three different insects: Damsel, Dragonfly and Dobson fly. And I thought they were just different in size according to the size of each final product.
Thanks.

Correct.

The term hellgrammite refers to the nymph form of the dobson fly. It's common in PA but is found more in the warmer streams and rivers in my experience (they are common in trout streams too).

They like very fast riffles and are pretty active in May/June. They are a multi-year nymph and grow very large, often up to around 3 inches. Many people imitate them with black flies but most hellgys are actually in the sand/brown to olive color range with only the head/thorax being black or dark brown. Tie an olive wooly bugger with a black cone-head and you've got a good hellgy pattern.

I love hellgrammites and fish flies that imitate them heavily for bass in the early summer.

 

[Baron]

I caught some on live Hellgrammites. Olive huh? Figures that I bought the wrong color again. Along the Delaware in Easton they are everywhere. At night in summer it gets creepy when the adults fly into your lights and you when fishing for catfish.

 

[melvinp]

Olive,olive brown,Dark brown and rust brown are all very good colors hellgies very in color I like the red heads my self the best Start flipping rocks and you will see as the water warms up you will have to go back to the water to find them but this time of year they will be on the shore line and by the way a live hellgrammite is a great way to practice your tight line nymph technique I’ll probably get some grief over using live bait on a flyrod but it works very well.

 

[melvinp]

Same boat for me on the size,6&4 3x long for mid size flow 2,4 4x long for the Susquehanna.

 

[melvinp]

Try a size 1 jig hook,blood quill tail,estaz body and a black nickel cone head tied in meat whistle style and add a few rubber legs at the cone just saying

 

[Baron]

Mel, got a photo?