Kishwaukee River Bugger

[Guest Jim S.]

Being new to the fly tying, I finally did my first Woolly Bugger, good colors for the Kish. Ginger/Brown.

 

[Guest rich mc]

great color for clear water and when crayfish hatch. good bugger richmc

[Ryan Kral]

My opinion, best all around fly to tie lots of! They fool just about every freshwater species as some form of prey. Use slow strips on the river, or let them drift, as crayfish for bass and carp. And probably one of the most effective patterns on the(driftless) trout streams. Perfect example would be Tim and I's last driftless trip, where I more or less through on a large, heavy(tungsten), black bugger out of frustration of nothing else working all day. Slow strips in, across a small deep spring creek, and it was like someone flipped a switch. Either they were mistaking it for a leech, baitfish, or just didnt care, it worked. Needless to say, Tim ended up catching that 21" rainbow that stoled my big black bugger! Ryan

[Ryan Kral]

Sorry, nice tie too! Would never guess it was your first bugger. Lookin' good. Ryan

[Mike G]

Nice.

 

It reminds me that there is a school of thought that says the bugger is the only fly pattern you need for underwater. Tie it on size 22 to 2/0 short, medium, and long shank hooks in colors from white/white/white to black/black/black and all combinations in between unweighted or weighted with wire, beads, or dumbells. Leave out the palmered hackle and add eyes; you have a Shannon Minnow. Sub fur, hair, silicon strips or feathers for the marabou tail. Sub wool, dubbing, floss, peacock, mylar, latex, or the next space age material for the chenille body.

 

So you can spend a lifetime on buggers alone. Get tying.

[Guest Jim S.]

I'll stick to the basics Mike.

 

Thanks Ryan, your trip looked really fun.

[Jim Wright]

Nice tie! Buggers can be so deadly. It is to the fly rod what a lead head/grub is to a spin rod. A great launching point to a great past time as well.

[Rob G]

Nice tie, and I agree with the rest of the clan here that it's one of the most effective flies ever created.

 

I mentioned it before but I have a certain small stream near me that shall remain nameless, but if you don't carry a few black buggers on you, then you might as well not get your line wet. Nothing and I mean nothing is nearly as effective and I have thrown my whole fly box at them countless times only to be reminded that they like black buggers and I don't have a clue why they are so appealing in that one small stream???????

 

And Mike, have you ever read Woolly Wisdom?

http://www.amazon.com/Woolly-Wisdom-Worms-Buggers-Fish-Catching/dp/1571883525/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364318823&sr=1-1&keywords=woolly+wisdom

[Guest rich mc]

now that you have the bugger down add some legs to it and make it a tequelly fly. rich mc

[sambennett]

Beauty. Those colors are my preference on the Fox in the spring as well. Despite being a gear chunker. Could be a cray, helgie, who knows... not sure the fish put as much thought into it as we do.

[mikea]

when you first start tying fill your box with time tested patterns, bottom bouncers, bait fish, poppers. pick two or three per catagory that are consistant producers and stick with them, nice tie