The Wooly Bugger ( or Woolly Bugger)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

When I started selling flies in a big sporting goods store around 1965 we had tons of old trout streamer patterns.

Grey Ghost, Edison Tiger, Spruce, Mikey Fin, Royal Coachman and dozens of others that I can't bring up out of my 'hard drive' right now.

We had the Wooly Worm too which is like a Wooly Bugger today but with a short tuft of a tail or no tail at all.

Then someone added that longer marabou tail to the Wooly Worm and called it the Wooly Bugger.

I know that we did not have the Wooly Bugger to sell over 30 years ago so it's fairly new to us.

Like the Wooly Worm, you could tie the Wooly Bugger in all sizes and it hundreds of color combinations.

I think you can catch anything that swims with a Wooly Bugger if you just tie it to match the standard streamer flies used for that species.

Today the Wooly Bugger is in the "Top Ten" list of the best selling wet flies in the USA.

My good friend Richard Haavik, owner of Rainbow Lodge in British Columbia, told me that the black Crystal (Wooly) Bugger has eliminated the need for all their old BC wet flys from years past. He said flies like the old famous Carey Special and Doc Spratley have been put to rest by the Wooly Bugger up there.

[Darian]

The first time I ever noticed anyone using a marabou tail on a Wooly Worm was at Pyramid Lake in approximately 1980. Multiple colors but black and purple were the primaries. Since the time I started fishing up there, I've seen a wide variety of styles and color combos. Some involving synthetic materials in Wooly Buggers.... They all seem to work at one time or another.

Altho I had already had experience casting shooting heads and 2 fly rigs, that was the first time that I'd seen a two fly cast of flies that were that heavy (weight wise) used with shooting heads. These flies were tied on size 4, 3X long hooks and weighted shanks. The cast was made by laying the line out on the water during the back cast and lobbed forwarded as far as possible. Sounds more difficult than it is from a ladder. If the floating beetles were around in those days, they were a well kept secret.... ;)

I vaguely recall a sports shop (probably not around any longer) in Reno or Sparks that had a wire basket hanging in the window. In the basket was a whole bunch of Wooly Buggers that caught a Cutthroat in Pyramid. It seemed like every color was represented there....:nod:

Now, Reno Fly Shop has the widest variety of Wooly Buggers (all named) that I've seen.... Great fly. :D

[paulegan81]

I teach a beginning fly tying class in the winter for GBF and we tie all three of those that Carl mentioned...Great flies!!! easy to tie and they show many of the skills need to further ones ability......
I also agree that with all the hype over new flies that some of the students want to learn....
it is hard to keep them interested in these frumpy old generals
The woolly Bugger is also the first fly I learned to tie.. I have tied it in many sizes, colors and called it many sub-names.
The Woolly bugger has brought to hand for me many upon many fish in all types of water from High streams to lakes to the delta

Paul
Tight lines to all
and to all a good FIGHT!!!

[Hairstacker]

Ah, the woolly bugger. . . . Is there anyone, no matter how long they've tied flies, who doesn't carry some of these in their fly box? Wasn't it a woolly bugger that enticed an 18 lb+ largemouth bass in the Delta a few years ago? One of the all-time greatest flies. =D>

[Bob Scheidt]

I too am a huge fan of the bugger. I dye some of my own materials for the buggers. I like to match the color tones so the tail, body and hackle match as close as I can get them.

I have a variation where I put a contrasting stripe of diamond braid along the back of the fly. I call it the skunk bugger.

Also put a white or orange brass bead on a somewhat rusty orange bugger, put some rubber with flakes in the tail and call it a crawbugger.

Bob Scheidt

[gene goss]

A Wiggle Tail by Jay Fair will out fish the wooly bugger if tied right.........I belong to the Granite Bay Flycasters and teach a stillwater trout class once a year with Jim Holmes........I'm embarrass when my friends ask what's my best flies for stillwater fishing are.......and the #1 fly in my box is a black wiggle tail. When tied right.......and retrived right......this fly has a better jiging action then the wooly bugger.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Great Gene......

We sell Jay Fair's Wiggle Tail and it is a variation of the Woolly Bugger.

[JD]

A Wiggle Tail by Jay Fair will out fish the wooly bugger if tied right

Debatable, but isn't a Wiggle Tail really just a variant of the Wooly Bugger?

Come on, be honest...

[Ed Wahl]

Sounds like a challenge to me. What say you, Gene? Ed

[Adam Grace]

I tied up some big saltwater baby tarpon woolly buggers for fishing in the mangroves, the baby tarpon loved them so did a couple of snook. The woolly bugger is a super versatile fly...I love it!

[gene goss]

Your right JD the wooly bugger and the wiggle tail are attracter flies........the tail on the wooly bugger is the trigger as is the tail on the wiggle tail is the trigger.....but a wiggle tail is more alive looking when tied right......Ed I'll except the challenge......How about high noon at Kiene's I'll bring my fish aquarium tank, and we can tie some leader to the flies and drag them around in the water and look at the action???????

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Jay Fair's 'Wiggle Nymph' is a type of Woolly Bugger that has a short body and a long tail so it must have more "wiggle"?

I know we sell tons of them individually and in variety 10 packs.

Jay Fair is usually guiding on Eagle lake this time of year, November being a top month.

With fly fishers he is mostly wading the shoreline after traveling around the lake in a boat to his favorite spots.

Do yourself a favor and get out a day with him soon because he is getting pretty old now.

PS: Denny Rickard's "Seal Bugger" is another 'Woolly Bugger like' small attractor lake fly.

__________________________________________________ _______________________________________

In a variety of colors (black, green, olive, brown, rust, etc) and sizes (#10-14) these small buggy attractor flies can imitate small fish, aquatic nymphs (damsel, dragon and mayfly) scuds and leeches.

[Ed Wahl]

Aww Gene, that's no fun. Let's have a showdown at Rancho Seco when they put the big fish in.

That'll give us time to work up an appropriate wager, talk trash, and pick up some NASCAR- like endorsements.:D

[Scott V]

A one fly fish off sounds like fun to me. I am down for that. Heck if we get more than 4 people I will even make a trophy for the winner. I'll turn something on my lathe.

[Adam Grace]

Scott, can you turn a wooly bugger on you lathe !?! THAT WOULD BE AN AWESOME TROPHY LOL

[Scott V]

Scott, can you turn a wooly bugger on you lathe !?! THAT WOULD BE AN AWESOME TROPHY LOL


Might involve some hand carving but I am willing to give it a try, I have some nice koa blanks for pens that would work real nice. I'll work on it next week, I am too busy fishing all this weekend.

[erhetta]

pencil me in for that contest....

[gene goss]

Ok Ed......Rancho Seco would be fine for me......lets make it a little more interesting..... you have to use my wiggle tail fly for the day........and i will use your wooly bugger fly for the day.......we could invite some other people to join us.....and give them each one of our fly to try.....(barbless ok with you)

[Ed Wahl]

That's an interesting twist. Maybe a few hours of each? I normally cycle through a lot of different colors, sizes, bead-head/non bead head, and cycle through different stripping speeds until I find a good combination.
I know you don't just toss out a black wiggle-tail and hope for the best. Or do you?;)

Maybe we should just find ourselves a pod of fish and do a side by side comparison.

Let me formalize this before we go any further.

You Sir, have impugned the honor of the venerable Wooley Bugger.( I am taking off one of my gloves now, I always wear these white gloves. Wait for it, here it comes). SLAP! I challenge you to a duel.
I will see you on the field of honor Sir. The Honorable Ed Wahl.

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

Boy, I'm game, but I want the wiggle tail! :wink:

[Hairstacker]

I'll take the whole "lot of different colors, sizes, bead-head/non bead head" that Ed carries. :unibrow: :lol:

'Course, if the duel is held at Rancho Seco, the results may suggest both fly types aren't worth a hoot. Maybe it's just me but I have found that to be an easy lake to get skunked at. :oops: :lol:

[gene goss]

Ed it sounds like a little bit of waffle on your part!!!!!!.....The woolly bugger against the wiggle tail........one fly......one color.....2 different sizes......extra flies for the big fish break off.....I have confidence in my black wiggle tail on any waters......do you have that confidence in one woolly bugger fly ?????????????

[Ed Wahl]

[QUOTE=.do you have that confidence in one woolly bugger fly ?????????????[/QUOTE]

Ummm, no, not really. The beauty of the 'bugger is the amount of variations you can tie.

How about if I tie it up on a short shanked hook, with a tail longer than the body?:rolleyes::D

I'm still game though, I'll take your one color, 2 sizes restriction.

[Hairstacker]

Gene, that kind of confidence in one fly merits attention -- I know what a wiggle-tail is, but before this is over, I sure hope to understand your particular version better. :unibrow:

So. . . how are the "NASCAR-like endorsements" coming along? Have you guys started making arrangements for sponsor shirts and caps? :lol:

[gene goss]

Hairstacker.......I can show you how the wiggle tail looks in the water with my fish aquarium tank, and you can see the difference for your self. You can come over to my house......or if we get enough people to look at the difference between a woolly bugger, and a wiggle tail maybe Bill will let us do it outside his store.......What do you think Ed...... would you like to put you woolly bugger in a aquarium tank and join us.

[Ed Wahl]

If we can put trout,char, LMB, any panfish, squawfish,hardheads, smallmouth, shad, salmon,carp, etc. in that aquarium I'm all in. I've caught 'em all at one time or another on 'buggers.

I've no doubt that these flies look great in the tank. I remember when I was a sophmore in High School window shopping at Goldblatts dept store on the west side of Chicago. They had these ultra realistic Bluegill imitation diving lures. I even saved up and bought some. I've noticed that I don't see them around anymore. Can you say flash in the pan?

C'mon Gene, let's rock. Ed

[Phil Synhorst]

Depending upon the date of the event, we might be hard pressed to get Michael Buffer to do the introductions. However, we can probably get Mean Gene, and Jesse the Body to do the calls from ringside. Rowdy Roddy may even tag along, toss in a chair in the late rounds.

[gene goss]

SKUNKED.......Your right i have been skunked at Rancho Seco, and other trout lakes more then once with the wiggle tail...Ed....I seen you fish before and you are very good at fly fishing you could take any kind of fly and catch a fish....maybe even with a wiggle tail......Does anyone know what Dates SMUD will plant Rancho Seco Trout Derby in December?

[Ed Wahl]

Aw shucks, thanks Gene.

I checked the Smud website but it hasn't been updated for this year. As a smud customer I should be getting a notice about it soon.

Kidding aside, way back in this thread, when you first brought up the wiggle-tail you added "when tied correctly". Care to do a little demo? Maybe we can get Bill to ok an afternoon session at the shop. Ed

[gene goss]

I would be honored to demo the wiggle tail fly......I'm not a professional fly tier.....why I'm not even a good fly tier......and I hate to wast my time tying a fly that looks like shi.....t in the water.....a fly that becomes alive in the water is what I'm talking about.

[mike N]

I don't fish buggers very often at all. I used to though. Here is a stile of zonker bugger that took a couple steelies for me over the years.

MN


http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p77/mikenovotny/DSCN2418.jpg

[Flycanoe]

I don't fish buggers very often at all. I used to though. Here is a stile of zonker bugger that took a couple steelies for me over the years.

MN


That is very cool looking fly. Thanks for sharing that one.

[Scott V]

FYI, the Rancho Seco trout derby is scheduled for December 13th and 14th, that would be a great weekend to test out the flies. I will be out there looking for big fish with a Dragonbugger myself.

[erhetta]

Mike,

Great fly!!! Thanks for sharing.

[gene goss]

Scott i don't think a fly fishing person as ever won the trout derby......they pay down to 14 places.......Hmmmmmm......it would be a ZOO on the derby weekend....Hmmmmmm...OK count me in.....what do you think ED?????

[Ed Wahl]

I like it. We'll at least make it our zoo. I'll go ahead and enter the derby too, time for a fly fisher to at least show.

I'll try to make it both days. Ed

[SHigSpeed]

Thanks for the dates! I'm SOOO down for the derby. This is the year for a fly fisherman winner. Hope the DFG ban on stocking doesn't crimp the day. :rolleyes:

See ya boys out there.

_SHig

[Scott V]

I'll be there for both days. When I sent to one of these a couple years back I learned it was a good thing to show up before the gates open. Even then I sitll waited in line for a while.

I better start making a trophy. I plan on turning a wooden wooley bugger for a trophy to the person with the biggest fish. I have never turned a fly from wood so this should be an interesting trophy.

Let the games begin!!!

[SHigSpeed]

I'll be there for both days. When I sent to one of these a couple years back I learned it was a good thing to show up before the gates open. Even then I sitll waited in line for a while.

I better start making a trophy. I plan on turning a wooden wooley bugger for a trophy to the person with the biggest fish. I have never turned a fly from wood so this should be an interesting trophy.

Let the games begin!!!

Would that be a "woody bugger"? :)

_SHig

[Scott V]

Would that be a "woody bugger"? :)

_SHig


I will be throwing everything in the box!!!! But mostly a Dragonbugger.:D

[Scott V]

With this warm weather I wonder if they will still plant trout. It seems like they would go belly up after being put into the warmer than normal water. But then this is all an assumption that the water is warmer than normal.

[Scott V]

FYI, gates open at 6:00, $5 to get in, $3 to be part of the trout derby, first prize for adults $100 and $50 for under 16.

To win my little trophy that I am making, it will be for the biggest fish caught on a fly you name before the event. You must catch the fish on the fly you state you will be using and you must also list the color. This is and isn't a 1 fly tourny/fun event, you can have more than 1 of the same fly but it must be the exact same with no slight variations. We will go by length for the winner, that way people who do not want to keep a fish can just measure and bring in the length.

I will using the Andy Burke Dragonbugger tied by Matt Frey, I believe the color is olive or green.

[SHigSpeed]

Call your fly!?

Hmm... Well, my go-to is the copper angel leech. Damn, now everyone knows.

So, don't have to call the size, just the pattern?

_SHig

[Ed Wahl]

I'll go with the wiggle tail. Hah, just kidding.

You're killing me with this one color, requirement.

You know the fly that will kill 'em will be one of those stupid little red and white RS Specials.

I'll make do for this contest with an olive bh 'bugger. Although I've got to admit that no two flies of mine ever come out exactly the same.

Let's limit this to Saturday, that way on Sunday anything goes. There's nothing I like better than cycling through tons of flies looking for a killer combination. I've done well when bankies were throwing gold and black rapalas by going to a brown and black clouser. You never know what those little deformed trout brains are thinking of.

Look for me in the Black Pearl, probably all tangled up in fly line. Ed

[SHigSpeed]

I like the Saturday rules, Sunday no holds barred (barbed?).

I know for sure I can get out Saturday, Sunday is still up in the air.

Seeya on the water!

_SHig

[Scott V]

1 fly
1 fish
1 day

You can have multiple flies of the same size, color, and type. No variations allowed, if you tie them try to be as exact on each fly as possible. These are gentlemen's rules, so play fair but fight hard.

[Scott V]

I started a new post in the stillwater section for my 1 fly, 1 fish, 1 day tournanment.

[gene goss]

THIS IS CRAZYyyyyyyyyyyy.......I'll be there after the taco wagon open's in Sheldon (they have great taco's).......I'll be in my 8ft. alum. pram.......with a special wiggle tail for low light.....size 10......black. GOOD LUCK TO ALL

[Matt Frey]

I will be using the Andy Burke Dragonbugger tied by Matt Frey, I believe the color is olive or green.

Good Luck out there Scott. I am glad you're enjoying the Dragonbugger. The color on that fly is actually a combination of over a half dozen different colors of dubbing. The color I was going for was Muddy Electric Olive.