Baby Buggers

[Wooly Bugger]

Does anyone use or tie Wooly Buggers size 16 and smaller? If so, how successful have they been?

Wooly Bugger Fly Co.
www.woolybuggerflyco.com

Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." (Mark 1:17)

[Darian]

For my use, a small Wooly Bugger wouldn't be much different than fishing a Griffiths Gnat, wet. Not sure why I'd want tie one that small.... :confused:

[Wooly Bugger]

Thanks Darian. Where are you from? There seems to be some interest in smaller buggers for the smaller streams in MO. I think a size 16 may be ideal on a 4 wt rod. I haven't tried it yet. It is hard to find those sizes for buggers. I love fishing with buggers and I might give it a try. Thanks.

[Darian]

I'm from Sacramento, CA (I know there's a Sacramento in the mid-west, too).

I'm sure there's someone around here that uses small buggers but aren't saying much about it. I just can't see a reason to make an effective, simple fly (the gnat) more complex by tying the same size with a tail and rib. Of course, there're size 16 hooks that're longer shanked than others making a size 16 into a size 14 fly. :confused:

Since I never tie on anything smaller than a size 18 hook, I'm probably the wrong person to listen to.... :wink:

[GA_Boy]

The smallest buggers I fish are 12 and 14s. I don't think there would be much benefit to tying em any smaller than 16s. Just my 2 cents... But give it a shot and let us know how they work for you.

[EricW]

Palmering hackle that small sounds tough compared to just a scruffy dubbed body with a marabou tail. It sounds like wet fly fishing, imitating insects rather than bait fish.

[Adam Grace]

The wooly bugger is such an effective fly I couldn't see why such a small version couldn't be effective. Almost every single species of fish I have caught has succumbed to the wooly bugger, the most exotic would be tarpon and snook. I specially tied some saltwater buggers to test out my idea that anything will try to eat a bugger.

If the size 16 is tied correctly (more than likely very sparely) then i would bet it could be effective.

Has anyone else here caught some unlikely species on a bugger?

[jbird]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3953.jpg

[Bruce Slightom]

http://www.diablovalleyflyfish.org/flytying/flies_monroe_leech.html

I fish this fly in sizes down to #12's. Have have good success on Fall River and many lakes. My favorites are olive and maroon.

[Adam Grace]

Nice Jay, is that a Gar?

[jbird]

Nice Jay, is that a Gar?

Yep. Its a long nose gar. I got into em good on the mississippi last summer in western wisconsin. I got them on a variety of flies including a bugger. Ive caught Pike, walleye, LMB, SMB, carp, a variety of panfish on buggers. and I caught a bowfin on a chartreuse bugger.

Heres one of the bowfin but obviously, this one took a clouser....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/jbird35/JDS_3659.jpg

[Adam Grace]

I just had to google "bowfin" I wasn't familiar with that fish. Kinda looks like a snakehead but I realize that it's different. How do they fight?

BTW Jay, i'm jealous about all these new and different species of fish that you have available to you now! ;)

[Ed Wahl]

Look up Jay Fair's "wiggletail", it'll answer all your questions about tiny 'buggers. I've been using it a lot since Gene turned me onto it.
Ed

[Scott Thornley]

How do they fight?

The one I caught hit back in MI like a ton of bricks, and fought like a brick as well.

Scott

[john]

Like jbird, I fish the Mississippi, mostly out of Pepin. Smallmouth and white(silver)bass and whatever, along the rip rap, wingdams and up the river mouths. Seems like every trip you think you've hooked the mother of all smallmouth, only to come up with that toothy thing. I grew up knowing 'em as dogfish.

[Ed Wahl]

I know for a fact a big Dogfish can pull a 10ft jonboat around for quite a while before it tires out. We caught them in the backwaters off the Kankakee River near Momence, Il.
Ed

[Bryan Morgan]

That Gar is too cool!

[gene goss]

[QUOTE=Ed Wahl;112453]Look up Jay Fair's "wiggletail", it'll answer all your questions about tiny 'buggers. I've been using it a lot since Gene turned me onto it.
Ed[/QUOTE
Hey Wooly Bugger ....if you send me a pm with your address i'll send you a couple to try out.
Here's some info. for tying one up:
Hook: TMC 2499 SP-BL Size 16, straight eye, 2x heavy, 3x wide, 2x short.
Thread: UNI-Mono size 4 fine/clear.
Ice Dubbing: black peacock.
Marabou: Black...the tips only.

fishon...Gene


http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w300/eugene047/DSC00325.jpg

[Reno Flytyer]

I've been using #14 & #16 buggers for some time. I like 'em a lot...obviously, it depends on the stillwater situation & what I'm reading, but you bet, they can be killer flies.
RFT

[Paul B.]

Greg Bonovich used to tie them. I still have a couple I got from him a few years ago. I fished them on Putah creek and other streams with some success. He is at putahcreekflyfishing.com

[Golden]

These will be size 14s, which is a little bigger than you asked for but still fairly small for WB patterns. The title says Tenkara Friendly but most of the fishing I have done with them is out of a float tube with traditional fly tackle for trout. I have also used them on bass and bluegill in cattle holding tanks or farm ponds successfully. Here is the link, complete with pictures of the patterns, with materials listings and tying instructions: http://www.tenkarausa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3922

[midger]

I use microbuggers all the time and I tie them in sizes 14 and 16 using microtungsten coneheads on them. I've found them to be very effective dead drifted as nymphs and then strip retrieved at the end of the drift. I often use them as the weighted nymph on a 2 or 3 fly rig, and they are equally effective on trout, bass, and bluegill, although I generally fish for trout most of the time.

I keep them tied up in olives, blacks, and rust colors. They are easy to cast even with a 3 weight rod. Here's one in olive:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/WFFGUY/MB11.jpg

[Larry S]

Hey Jay,
Is that a fish or Abel's new needle-nose pliers? I've enjoyed some success in San Diego's trout lakes stripping
10-12 buggers. BTW, the Griffith's Gnat is a legendary fly; both dry and sunk. Too often, we (me) think that the
hot pattern is going to be the latest creation. Don't overlook those classics.
Best in '13,
Larry S

[Charlie S]

I've tied and used them down to size 22, with excellent results on various still waters, especially in dun and other subtle colors just before some mayfly hatches.

[John Sv]

I'm a big fan of using vintage patterns....
The Black Zulu is kinda like a mini black wooly bugger, but with a red tail. I use them down to 16 and they are $$$$!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

They have a gar fish in Florida and I hear it is good eating too.

I think size 16 buggers would be good........

[john]

...with wire

[Lachlan]

The tiniest buggers (http://www.termiterescue.com.au/) I seafood are 12 and 14s. I don't think there would be much advantage to attaching em any small than 16s. Just my 2 pennies... But try it out and let us know how they perform for you.