Re: Wooly Worm Pattern

[beachbum2]

Good Morning All,

A little background first. I started tying in my teens, approx. 30+ yrs ago. I am coming back to the wonderful sport and need little bits of advice. First, all those years ago my very very first fly I tied was a wooly worm...some sort of red tail feather, black chenille and a grizzly hackle. BTW....it was a disaster. So, now I have started picking up fly tying books with lots of different patterns and there is the wooly worm. Here is my problem and the reason for the post. I have seen several different tails...red feather like material, glo yarn, floss AND I have even seen it WITHOUT a tail. Are these just variations to the wooly worm or different patterns entirely? Additionally, tails have been red with a black chenille body. Can the tails and/or body be altered to bring in some different colors? Any and all assistance would be great.

Thanks,
Tim

[JD]

Welcome back to tying. There are no hard and fast rules about tying Woolly Worms, but the most common variant beginners traditionally tie is black with a red tail, which can be anything as you've learned, from red hackle feathers, to polypropylene yarn. The Woolly Worm is a general attractor pattern, so any combination would work. Black and red and olive and red would be my two choices, although I only fish these on Pyramid these days. Some drop the tail altogether, and at some point someone added a tail of marabou, about the length the hook shank, and renamed it the Woolly Bugger, which is much more common these days.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I have sold flies now for almost 50 years and around 30 years ago I don't think the Woolly Bugger had been invented?

By just adding a marabou tail to the Woolly Worm, it changed everything.

The Woolly Bugger put the Woolly Worm out of business.

The Woolly Bugger put hundreds of old classic streamers out of business.

You can tie the Woolly Worm or Woolly Bugger in any size and with any combination of materials and in any color combinations.

Just go for it and have fun......

.

[Bob G]

Hey Tim -

Primarily, what fish will you be after...if trout, I will add a few thoughts.

Take Care, Bob

[beachbum2]

@ Mr. Kiene...I may be in correct, but I have found that the wooly worm originated in the Ozarks until someone commercialized it in the 50's. Thank you, for the info, I will most certainly change the colors and "go for it" I always have fun tying.
@ Bob....primarily trout probably 85-90% of the time, but occasionally maybe some bass fishing in the delta when I just "want to get out on the water." Please by all means add all the comments you would like. Thanks ALOT in advance.

[Rich Morrison]

Just about every trout 20" or larger I've caught has been on a Wooly Bugger of some sort. Great fly. I did catch a 24" brown on a Girdle Bug once - but I think he thought it was a Wooly Bugger - so it doesn't skew the data.

[Bob G]

Hey Tim -

I sent you a PM.

Good Luck!

Bob