Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020 - 25

Building bodies

Experiment with your Woolly Bugger in an aquarium or
bucket of water to see its movement in the water.

We palmer the hackle forward by tying in the butt section
of the feather. Take time to prepare the hackle by stripping
off the unnecessary parts near the butt end then tie it in at
the hook shank. Lay the feather on the hook shank with the
feather curve cupped upwards. When the body is wound
forward, your tier can work hackle pliers to palmer the feather
forward with consistent spacing.

To create the body of the bugger, different colors and styles
of chenille material are available to the tier at a relatively low
cost. I find that young tiers get enthusiastic with more than
the natural colors of black, olive, and brown. They prefer
fluorescents, striped, Estaz, and mottled versions of this
durable material.
Teach them the basics to wrapping a chenille body on the
Woolly Bugger. Cut a small piece of the chenille to tie in, and
they can practice wrapping it to the front of the hook shank.
When they become adept at this technique, have them preen
the chenille back with each wrap to create a consistent bugger
body. The biggest mistake tiers make at this stage is not
wrapping the thread forward to the eye before wrapping the
chenille body and palmering the hackle.
With more advance tiers, have them intertwine two strands
of chenille material to create a striped body. Simply, tie in
the two materials at the back of the hook shank and make
consistent wraps to the hook eye. These contrasting colors
allow for some simple and neat variations.
We also create variegated bodies. First, tie in the two strands
of chenille. After tying a knot at the chenille ends, twist the
thread core with a dubbing or hook tool. When twisted at the
right tension, the chenille will blend together to intermix the
fibers, creating a mottled look, a lot like a caddis casing. Then,
the tier can wrap this mixed material forward to the hook eye
as a single strand of material.

Bugger variations

The list of Woolly Bugger patterns continues to rise as tiers
employ beadheads, cones, rubber legs, and dumbbell eyes.
For some sparkle, many tiers also add a few strands of Krystal
Flash to the tail. Using smaller hooks and proportions, my tiers
have even experimented in creating Baby Buggers and Micro
Woolly Buggers for a smaller variation on the pattern.
Once your Woolly Bugger tying is complete and your fly
box is filled, the next best part is naming the fly, trying it out,
and making some memories on the water.

Woolly Bugger
Hook: 2XL streamer sizes #6-10
Thread: Black, brown, olive (or color to match) 3/0
Tail: Marabou feather plumes
Body: Chenille or dubbing
Hackle: Saddle hackle (match hook size)
Optional: Beadhead, cone, or added weight

Baby Bugger

This Woolly Bugger creation was nicknamed the "Thin Mint."
www.fishandboat.com

Hook: #12-20 dry fly
Thread: Black, brown, or olive 3/0
Tail: Marabou or clump of rabbit fur
Body: Dubbing or micro chenille
Hackle: Small saddle hackle

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * July/August 2020

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020

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