To start we will need a streamer hook like these 300's from Risen Fly
Today Im tying a size 8.
Place the hook securely in your vice.
For thread I really like this veevus 6/0 and today im using brown.
Start your thread right behind the hook eye, and then snip or snap off the waste.
Then bring your thread down to the start of the hook bend and then come back up a wrap or two.
Now we need some marabou for the tail. Im tying a Brown bugger today,
so Im using this brown marabou.
If your marabou strands are thin, then grab two of them and align the tips together like so.
Now measure out about a hook shank length tail,
and I find wetting the marabou will help with the next step.
Tie down the tail tight with a few wraps,
and then advance your thread all the way up to just shy of the hook eye.
Cut off the excess marabou and then clean up the tip with some wraps.
Bring your thread back down to the start of the tail.
Now we need some Krystal flash and today Im using Gold.
I like 2 strands, but you can use more if you would like.
Cut off the strands from the hank, and then tie in the flash so it extends out to just
about the length of the tail. I like making these slightly shorter than the tail, but
you can make them longer as well, up to you.
Once they are tied down on one side of the tail, then wrap the forward facing strands
around rearward and tie those down on the other side as well. Then cut them to the same length.
Bring your thread up to the eye of the hook.
We now need some chenille. This medium sized rayon chenille will
work perfectly. And again im using brown.
Tie in the chenille right behind the hook eye, and then wrap that down the hook
shank to the start of the tail, keeping the chenille from spinning on the hook.
Now we need some wire. Today Im using a Brassie sized Gold wire.
A piece this long should tie 3-4 of these flies.
Tie the wire in on the side of the hook like so,
making sure the wire extends a fair ways up the hook shank for security but not past the hook
eye. Bring your thread back up to just shy of the hook eye.
We will now make touching wraps up the hook shank with the chenille,
and then capture it near the hook eye, leaving a small space right behind the eye of the hook.
Cut off the waste close.
Now we need some hackle. You can use a few different kinds of hackle here. Today I have
in front of you a hen saddle and a rooster cape. The cape is going to have more stiff fibers,
which I find better for buggers you will use in a river. However the softer hackle
on a hen saddle will be better for still water fishing where you want those fibers to flow.
Lets choose a hackle here from the hen saddle.
Make sure the fibers are long enough to extend
out at the base of the feather to about 2 times the hook gap.
Pluck off the feather and then prepare it by pulling
off all the discolored fuzzy fibers at the base of the feather like so.
To tie these in, I like making an x wrap over the feather so it stays sticking out perpendicular
from the hook shank. Then pull back the stem and tie that down so it will not pull out.
Snip off the waste.
Grab the tip of the hackle with some hackle pliers, and then proceed to palmer the hackle
down the hook shank. I like to start with two wraps at the head, and then open spiral wrap
down the shank until you reach the tail. Once you reach the tail, then capture it with the wire,
pull off the hackle pliers and then proceed to counter wrap the wire
up the hook shank and over the hackle to secure it up the shank so it wont pull out.
This will trap some of the fibers and that is ok, we will fix this in a minute.
Once you reach the head of the fly, then capture the wire with some tight wraps,
and you can then simply helicopter the wire off clean.
Brush out the soft hackle with a stiff toothbrush,
and then also use your bodkin to pick out any trapped fibers like so.
Now you can whip finish your fly.
I like to brush it out once more here.
Then to secure the whip finish, my favorite stuff is Solarez Ultra Thin UV Resin.
Paint a little on the head of the fly, then cure it with your UV light. It is
thin enough to penetrate the thread wraps and will cure very hard and
leave a nice professional looking finish as well.
And there we have it, the finished wooly bugger with soft hackle.
As you can see, in fast moving water the fibers kind of break
down. IT doesn't push as much water as a stiffer fibered hackle would,
however it really shines when the current shut off. You can see the fibers flowing freely.
The movement on this fly is excellent for slow moving or still water, and every little
strip or wiggle will make it move like a real live bug or baitfish. In fact some people say
buggers mimic crayfish, so this even seems to me like a crayfish where you see their legs moving.
So when fishing a still water fishery for trout, bass or sunfish,
try using a softer hackle for your buggers.
Next week I plan on tying another Wooly Bugger, but this time with
some more stiff cape feathers so you can see the difference. Dont miss that video.
Let me know in the comment section what is your favorite feathers to use for tying your Buggers.