Paul's February 2024 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Golden Wooly Bugger

Hook:  6X or 4X Long Streamer hook Size #6 & #8.

Thread:  Wood Duck or Gold 6/0 or 140 denier.

Bead:  5/32” 4.0mm Gold Bead.

Weight:  Lead-free round wire .020.

Tail:  Ginger Marabou.

Flash:  Gold Holographic Flashabou.

Body:  Gold tinsel Chenille, Large.

Hackle:  Ginger Hackle.

 

Wooly Buggers are some of the greatest flies known to fly fishers.  They are super effective.  A great fly for both beginner and experienced fly guys.  Many big fish are caught on buggers!

To tie this fly begin by placing your bead on the hook and hook in the vice. Next, take 10-15 wraps of .020 Lead-free wire around the hook shank and seat it up against the back of the bead.  ‘Helicopter’ off the butt end of wire.  Apply some Super Glue to secure it if so desired.  Now, start your thread on the hook shank immediately behind the wire.  After taking some securing wraps, cut off the butt end and take wraps over your Lead-free wire.  Wrap up to the bead and back down to the start of the wire.  Next, prepare 2 Ginger Marabou feathers for your tail.  Match the feathers so that the concave sides of the feather are together, and the tips are aligned.   The tail should be about the length of the hook shank.  You can strip or cut away the excess lower part of the feather.  The tie in point will be at mid hook shank at the start of your Lead-free wire.  Wrap and secure the feather all the way down to the hook bend. 

Take 2 strands of Gold Holographic Flash-a-bou.  Secure them on top of the hook shank at their ‘mid-point’.  Tie and secure 2 strands on each side of the tail.  Trim the Flash-a-bou so that it is even with your marabou tail.  Next, prepare your Gold Tinsel Chenille for your body.  Strip away a few fibers from it’s tip to expose the center core string.  Secure it at the base of the tail with thread wraps.  Bring your tying thread up behind the bead.  Wrap your Chenille forward using touching wraps to create your body.  Tie it off behind the bead and cut off the excess. 

Prepare a Ginger Saddle Hackle feather by snipping off the fuzzy part of the feather off and creating a triangular tip to tie your feather onto the hook shank.  Tie it in behind the bead, on the near side of the hook.  The shiny side of the feather should be facing you.  Bring your thread down to the start of your tail.  Make 2 ‘counter wraps’ of the Saddle Feather behind the bead.  Now, make open spiral wraps of the feather down to the thread/start of the tail.  Anchor the feather there with tight wraps of your thread.  Snip off the excess Feather.  Now take your thread and make open spiral wraps up the body, trying not to trap any body fibers on your way up.   End your tying feather behind the bead and whip finish the fly.  Apply a drop of head cement to your thread wraps and you’re done.  

Tightlinevideo has a great instructional video on how to tie this fly below:

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of The Month I can be reached at pdinice@frontier.com .