Some Discouraging News

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Fugly Bugger

I am hoping I don't have to explain the slang terminology of the first word in this pattern's name.  It is not pretty (pun intended). However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

You've probably notice a few changes from a standard woolly bugger- the peacock herl tail and dubbed body.  It was a result of creative fly tying juices flowing, yet I won't claim any originality of the pattern.  The whole premise of this step-by-step is to get the tier thinking more outside the "material box."  

My preference for bugger bodies has always been dubbing.  While adding a little time to pattern completion, a dubbed body creates a very buggy appearance, bulk (if desired), movement that chenille(s) cannot compete against, and the extra attraction of it's unique light refraction/signature- especially when synthetic materials are utilized.  However, don't limit yourself...  Natural hair, (or a mix of natural and synthetic) e.g., angora, opossum, squirrel, picked out work wonders at times!  

This step-by-step utilizes a synthetic spectrumized peacock colored dubbing.   Mr. Peacock dubbing from The Fly Tyers Dungeon (www.flytyersdungeon.com)(no affiliation) is very inexpensive and available in 12 wickedly vibrant fishy colors.  I classify this material as semi-coarse and easy to dub.

Peacock herl for a tail?  Peacock herl taken from under the eye possesses the most vivid, longest fibers off the stem and wonderful movement in the water.  However, many consider it a little too weak for tailing material. Understandable, but the strength and magic of peacock is often underestimated. Chewed or broken herl can always be discreetly cut back to the body and the fly can then be fished as a Woolly Worm-ish pattern.  Further trimming of the hackle results in a cased caddis.  A suitable substitution is thin peacock sword.

Although not aesthetically pleasing in the eyes of most, other tailing materials include single strand floss, Angel Hair (or eqvuilant), metallic threads, and longer supple hair such as temple dog and arctic fox under fur.  You are only limited by your imagination!   The fuglier - the better!

Materials

Thread: 10/0 Veevus, black or choice

Hook:  Daiichi 1260 size 6 (shown) or choice

Bead:  Spirit River Brite Bead, 4.0mm, nickel black (shown) or choice

Weight to suit

Tail:  6 to 10 peacock herls taken from below the eye

Rib: Optional 

Hackle:  Black strung saddle

Body:  Mr. Peacock dubbing (synthetic peacock color)

Step 1

Slid bead on to hook.  Secure hook in vise.  Additional weight may be added at this point.  I have elected to slightly increase the weight and fill the void of bead with UTC wire as pictured.

Take 5 or 6 wraps of wire forward over the shank.

Once the number of wraps are complete, double back.  Remove tag ends and push wire into the center of the bead.

Step 2

Start thread immediately behind bead and wind rearward stopping between the hook point and barb.

Step 3

Remove 6 to 10 peacock herls from under the eye. (Six are pictured.) Align tips. I prefer bugger tails slightly shorter than normal and have measured just short of one hook length.  Secure herl with forward wraps of thread.

Step 4

Return thread to the rear of the hook.

The ribbing is optional and can be tied in during this step.  I have elected to bypass the ribbing.  The body will be dubbed loose enough for me to bury the hackle stem firmly in to the material.

Select a saddle hackle with fibers slightly longer than one gape length.  Prepare by stripping one side free of fibers.  Secure tip first to hook.

Step 5

Wax thread.  Remove a small amount of dubbing from packaging.  

Loosely apply/twist a small amount of dubbing. Appearance should look similar to the picture.  

Wind forward to the bead.  Note the shaggy appearance.

Step 6

Lift hackle straight up.  Ensure fibers are pointed rearwards. Wrap hackle forward in 5 or 6 increments.  Take 2 or 3 extra wraps behind the bead.  Remove tag end.  Secure with two whip finishes if ribbing was omitted.

If rib was utilized, counter-wrap over the hackle stem.  Secure, remove tag end, and whip finish.

Step 7

The fly could easily be fish at this point.  However, I like these patterns shaggy!  Since the ribbing was omitted, I recommend a bodkin to carefully pick out the body material between the hackle wraps. A velcro or a bore cleaner may break the steam if too much pressure is applied.

Finished!

A quick side bar...  Even though the body has been heavily picked out note how thin the body still appears. Additionally, keep those tails thin.  A thinly dressed fly catches more fish!

Finally, one fishing technique I often use on the river is using a heavily weight Fugly Bugger (or any bugger) as a point fly in combination with a soft hackle or emerger patten.  The cast is made three quarters upstream and worked to completion downstream. The strike can come at anytime, but normally it occurs as the flies near the end of the drift and begin to rise off the bottom.

Enjoy!

Something Simple

When the bead head revolution exploded here in America I distinctly remember an article in one the fly fishing rags about the importance of being simplistic.  A few paragraphs stated bead heads were best fished in the riffles where trout had to quickly react (or not) and the need for exacting patterns were not warranted in such waters. Certainly made sense to me at the time, but truth be told, I still follow this guidance today.

I realize a lot has changed in the last few decades, but these super simple flies are great searching and impressionistic patterns perfect for the beginning angler/tier. Whether you fish a lake or river for trout or panfish these patterns catch a lot fish!

The flies in the article were tied with natural materials, e.g., hare's ear or opossum, and a rib.  But think of the possibilities today!  I vividly imagine several different material combinations...  

Materials

Thread:  8/0 color to match

Hook:  Daiichi 1150 (or choice), sizes 8-18 (size 12 pictured)

Bead:  Size appropriate gold (or choice)

Rib:   Size appropriate gold oval.  There are literally dozens of options.  Try Krystal Flash, UTC wire, metallic thread(s), etc.  You are only limited by your imagination.

Body:  Custom blend 40% natural hare's ear, 40% natural American opossum, 20% clear Antron (pictured).  Again, there are a whole host of options for a body.

Step 1:

Place bead and hook in vise.

Step 2:

Additional weight can be added at this point.  I have elected to fill the bead with turns of copper wire. Push wire in the void of the bead.

Step 3:

Start thread immediately behind  bead/wire.  Tie in tinsel.

Step 4:

Wrap thread to a stopping point on the bend of the hook as show. Return thread to the starting point.

Step 5:

Heavily wax thread and return to the bend of the hook.  Though returning the thread to the starting point in step 4 may seem redundant, a base of heavy wax along the shank aids in keeping the hare's ear stationary with a lightly dubbed thread as well as ensuring the ribbing is tightly secured to the shank.

Note the coating of wax on the hook shank.

Step 6:

Lightly dub hare's ear around the thread.  Too tightly will give a noodle effect.  The trick is less pressure. The hair will loosen as you wrap the dubbing forward giving the desired effect.

Step 7:

Wrap dubbing forward to the bead however,  do not wrap too tightly against the bead.  You'll need a little room for the head.

Note the appearance of the dubbed body.  The dubbing may be picked out further for a very shaggy appearance, or if the body is too heavily, simply pinch the hairs and lift off.  This is the beauty of a loosely dubbed thread.  It takes a little practice, but worth the time saving!

Step 8:

Start the ribbing with one turn at the rear of the body and make 5 or 6 even and firm wraps forward. Secure ribbing.

Whip finish and add a drop of head cement. All done!  

Another option that has been deadly is the addition of a hot butt. This is nothing more than laying a base of fluorescent thread down as shown below.  Note how floss-like flat the thread is.  Keeping the thread flat makes for professional looking hot butts.  Pictured is 70 denier UTC in chartreuse.

Add a coat of head cement.  This not only keeps the thread from getting chewed up, but it aids in keeping the thread's brilliancy.  Change thread back to matching color or simply continue the fly with the "hot" color.

Have fun!  The sky is the limit with color combinations!

Tight lines!

JAB's Riffle Robber

This little fly came to fruition when I lived on the banks of Russian River in Ukiah, California.  While there was little in the way of trout fishing on the river below Coyote Dam, the headwaters above Lake Mendocino was an untapped jewel of a fishery.

As a youngster I spent many summers visiting family in Ukiah and fishing for smallmouth in the river.  After all, it was a quick 5-minute walk to wet a line.  It wasn't until Uncle Sam sent me to the Bay Area for a tour on Treasure Island and moving 90-miles to north did I discover paradise.

Once the household goods were moved in the first the did was prospect the surround area for quality fishing. Although I knew the Eel River was short drive, Cow Mountain had trout plants, Clear Lake had monster bass, and the lower Russian had steelhead, I was looking for something closer to home.  I set out for the headwaters above the lake.  

Within two miles of turning off Highway 20 I ran into a warden from California Fish and Game parked in a pull out along the river. I asked if he had a few minutes to answer questions about the headwaters.  In a nutshell he said the trout fishing should be off the hook with the amount of plants and large fish in the river.  He also mentioned that he rarely had the opportunity to talk with other anglers because no one knew of this fishery.  That's all I had to hear...  I spent a few minutes overturning rocks looking for clues.

I have yet to encounter the amount of insects I did that day!  The amount of caddis and large black stoneflies was staggering. Since the amount of stoneflies heavily outweighed the caddis I figured these large bugs were going to be the ticket. I set off for home to return "loaded for bear."  Boy Howdy, I was wrong.

I caught a few fish, but it took a couple of weeks to truly figure the puzzle out.  For some reason, the fish preferred caddis patterns all season long.  Interesting?  I thought so...  Many of the caddis in the headwaters had a golden goniochromism.  While I tried various materials to replicate this iridescence, including oval gold tinsel and Krystal Flash, it wasn't until I stumbled upon an antique gold color at the craft store did the game serious change.

The Riffle Robber is a two material game changer!  Not only does this fly take less than five minutes to tie, but the true beauty rests with ability to fish this pattern both upstream and swinging downstream. I feel the effectiveness of this pattern comes from a collar of very translucent and wavy attributes of the American opossum.  The translucency of this material is first rate (akin to polar bear) and although the under fur is somewhat coarse it breathes well against the current.

With the exception of a few patterns, I normally do not tie with a bead on the hook.  Rather, I slide a bead on leader before tying on the fly.  Not to worry... The bead will find it's way to the fly during the cast and/or drift.  However, sliding a bead on the leader does a few things: (1) saves a lot of money over the long run and (2) the ability to switch the color of bead and/or convert non-beaded patterns.  (3) Bright bead's (gold and copper) protective coatings eventually fail (especially copper) after exposure to the amino acid on our fingers.  There is no longer a need to tie more beadhead flies to fill the box once the coating fails.  Give it a shot- you'll be happier!

Materials 

Weight to suit

Thread: 8/0 to match

Hook:  Daiichi 1150 (or choice) Size 10 pictured

Bead: Size appropriate- gold, black, copper

Body: Embroidery thread, DMC #E436, Antique Effects (Antique Gold color) or DMC #E703, Jewel Effects (Bright Lime)

Available at craft stores

Color: Natural American opposum

Step 1

Place bead on hook and secure in vice.

Step 2

As this point additional weight can be added.  In this step by step, I am wrapping copper wire to fill the bead's void.  Wrap 5 or 6  turns of medium UTC wire, then double back over previous wraps and trim.

Push wire into the bead.

Step 3

Start thread immediately behind the bead.

Cut approximately 10-inch of DMC embroidery thread.  You'll notice 6-strands of embroidery thread that will separate upon cutting to length. Take two strands and double the ends (4-strands) and secure the ends.

Tightly wrap thread rearwards stopping at a point on the hook as shown below. Return thread in close, tight wraps.

Step 4

With a dubbing hook or spinning tool, tightly spin embroidery thread counter-clockwise until material nearly doubles over. Spinning tightly in a counter-clockwise direction will force the rope to lay rearwards allowing for a nice tight look. Wrap forward providing a segmented body.  Secure material with a few thread in position shown.

Step 5

Form a dubbing loop and wax thread.

Cut a portion of American opossum from the hide equating to approximately an inch and one half of fur in the dubbing loop. (This will take a few attempts to get the portion right.)  Remove all longer guard hairs. You should left with the darker tips of the under fur.  Place under fur in the dubbing loop.  The tips of the under fur should extend about one hook length past the bend of the hook.

Trim the hair as close to the thread as possible.  

Spin until the hair stands outs at a 90-degree angle.  Comb or pick out any trapped hairs.  

Moisten and draw under fur to the rear.  Wrap forward in close, tight turns.

Step 5

Whip finish and trim thread.  You are ready to fish!

Again, this fly can be fished both upstream and down.  I thoroughly enjoy covering as much water as possible fishing dead drift upstream between riffles.  After covering several hundred yards upstream this fly can be cast quartering downstream and slowly twitched back to the rod trip on the return trip to the truck.

The wet look

Green and gold versions.

DMC embroidery threads and a patch of American opossum.

Enjoy!