Monday, March 23, 2015

Couple bugs...

Very busy work week ahead, but a week I'm looking forward to.  Big expo and a few seminars this weekend... Lots of fun and leads into a period with a few webinars I am looking forward to doing for USA Cycling as well... Fun stuff on the plate here!

With that knowledge in mind, I sat down to tie up a few bug's last night.  In particular, to restock my Marabou caddis population and some smallish (#12) black and chartreuse bead woolly buggers which are good small stream - and big stream bug's in these parts.

Like most fly tiers, I like to put my own twists on bugs.  It's hard to see on the bugger, but that's a combo of peacock ice dub and black opossum dubbing.  After I "finish" the fly I rough it up real well with a velcro covered Popsicle stick.  Give's it some subtle flash... and the bright bead gives it a nice little "hot spot" for fish to key in on.  Works well with pink, orange, chart., and plain metal beads... But really, it works because it's a bugger... And buggers and all their variants work.  It's really pretty darn amazing... I mean, what wont eat a bugger?  Salt water, fresh water... Brackish... big fish, little fish... EVERYTHING eats buggers!


Here's my marabou caddis. It's 4-6~ strands of marabou twisted round the tag of thread and palmered up the body.  Some grouse or partridge and a scruffy brown dubbed head... dead drift or swing and it's a really good fly!


Just a different view.  I'm convinced the scruffiness and the "flowy" nature of the palmered marabou are what make this fly "click".


Last, and most important... The sign of a nice evening :).  We moved over 10 years ago, and some how my procrastinating self has never figured out a better option than keeping my tying stuff in a bunch of bins, and then just taking what I want to the kitchen and tying at the island.  Thus, I use part of a box as a "base" so I dont get glues/CCG/marker or other stuff all over the island.  Easy cleaning too - just pick up my tools and materials, walk the cardboard to the trash, slide the scrap into the trash and put it all away...

I think because it works, I just have not "found" the time or effort needed to create a "spot" that I use all the time...


Have a great week!  

Will

9 comments:

  1. I really dig that bugger, and you're right, what doesn't eat a bugger!

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    1. Also, very nice trick with the velcro on the popsicle stick. I will have to try that. I'm in need of a good dubbing brush/picker.

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    2. Justin, I'd love to take credit for the velcro... But it's a trick I learned via youtube and Scotland's Davie McPhail. If you have not checked his videos, do so. Amazing - just Amazing. If you dont have a popsicle stick though, a plastic knife works too! Thanks for check in. Be well - Will

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  2. Nice caddis - neat attracts fisherman, scruffy and rough attracts fish ! Let us know how you do with those!

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    1. They are gooooood little flies Mark. They have caught fish for several years for me :)

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  3. The 2nd pic of the caddis looks like a bumble bee...if you can get it to float, I bet it would be a killer warmwater pattern.

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    1. Good idea Drew. Use fly foam vs marabou and remove the underbody of wrapped weight and it would work! Awesome idea!

      Will

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  4. Will great looking caddis. As Mark said nice and neat catches anglers, I prefer the other choice.
    I'm waiting the report on that fly when tested.

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    1. Alan it's worked well up here on the E.Branch of the swift, quinipoxet, millers and a few others. It's sort of heavy so I have never dipped it in a blue line... I'd suspect it would be a good fly on the Farmy... Have an awesome day! Enjoy the melt down!
      Will

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