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
I really dig that bugger, and you're right, what doesn't eat a bugger!
ReplyDeleteAlso, 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.
DeleteJustin, 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
DeleteNice caddis - neat attracts fisherman, scruffy and rough attracts fish ! Let us know how you do with those!
ReplyDeleteThey are gooooood little flies Mark. They have caught fish for several years for me :)
DeleteThe 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.
ReplyDeleteGood idea Drew. Use fly foam vs marabou and remove the underbody of wrapped weight and it would work! Awesome idea!
DeleteWill
Will great looking caddis. As Mark said nice and neat catches anglers, I prefer the other choice.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting the report on that fly when tested.
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!
DeleteWill