Complex Twist Bugger
Hook: Daiichi 2461 Long
Streamer Hook Size #2 or Streamer hook of choice.
Thread: Danville Flat Waxed
Nylon 210 Denier in Black.
Cone: Brass Cone Heads Copper Large (1/4”).
Weight: (Optional) Lead Free Round Wire .025.
Tail: 2 married Brown Marabou Feathers flanked by 1 strand of Gold
or Copper Tinsel on each side.
Body: Brown UV Polar Chenille in either Gold or Copper, twisted
with a Brown Schlappen Feather, and twisted with an Olive Schlappen Feather.
Veil: Bruiser Blend Dubbin in ‘Hidden Treasure’,
Brown or Olive color. You can also use Lazer
Dub in Brown/Olive.
My friend Chris Parisi introduced me to this fly this past winter. The Result - It has caught a lot of trout for my friends and I this past spring (2024). It’s a big piece of meat. With the cone head and added weight, it really gets down during times of high water. It’s one of my ‘go to’ streamers when I have to get deep.
To tie this fly, begin by placing the Cone Head on your hook and the hook in your vice. Next, if you want to weight this fly, take 8 to 15 wraps of .025 wire around the hook shank. Push the wraps forward to lock in your Cone Head. Start your thread behind the Wire wraps to secure it. Then, cover your wire wraps and the hook shank with thread. Prepare 2 Marabou Feathers for your tail. Marry them together and tie them in at the bend of the hook shank. They should extend 1 ½ hook shank length beyond the bend (more or less depending upon your personal preference). Do not cut off the butt ends. Wrap your thread down the hook shank over the butt ends to create a uniform body. You can then trim off the excess Marabou butts. Next, tie in 1 strand of Copper or Gold Tinsel on each side of the tail.
Now prepare your Schlappen Feathers and UV Polar Chenille
for the body. Stroke the fibers of each
feather back leaving a small tie in point at the tip of the feather. Align the tips of the 2 feathers together and
place the Polar Chenille in the middle. With
the tips of all 3 items (2 feathers and chenille) aligned, tie them in at the
tail ‘tie in” point. Capture all 3 with
a pair of hackle pliers and twist them together. After 5-6 twists, take a comb or toothbrush
and brush out any fibers that may be trapped.
You now have a nicely prepared rope of body material. Wrap it forward until you are behind the
cone. Tie it off with your thread with
securing wraps and a few half hitches. Trim
off the excess material.
The final step of this fly is to add a veil to the cone
head. Take a clump of Bruiser or Lazer
Dub and pull & stack it between your fingers a few times. Take the prepared clump and place it right
over the Cone. Surround the cone with the
material and tie it down at the ‘half way’ point of the clump. With tightening wraps, secure it behind the
cone head. You want to surround the cone
with this material. If needed, repeat
the process to adequately cover the cone.
After securing it, pull back the material extending over the top of the cone
so that all of it flows ‘rearward’. If needed,
create a small dubbing noodle of the same dubbing, and wrap it behind the cone
head. Whip finish the fly. With a comb or toothbrush, brush the dubbing
material rearward. Your fly is finished.
Fly Fish Food has a great 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 .
