Fishing the Famous Wooly Bugger

 Probably the most famous of all flies in fly fishing is the Wooly Bugger. Whether you fish this fly for warm water species or cold water species you should be successful. Crappie, bass, bluegills, strips, spots, smallmouth, and of course trout hit this fly with vigor. I receive a number of fishing publications each month which give me a lot of great information on fishing. I recently read a great article on the Bugger in one of the publications and I thought I would share it with you guys. As always I learn something I didn’t know about fishing the Wooly Bugger, and I hope you pick up some information you can use as well.

How to Use a Wooly Bugger When Fly Fishing

Fly fishermen tend to agree that the Wooly Bugger lure is one of the best for catching the big ones. The Wooly Bugger is a big lure, and there are a variety of ways it can be cast and presented to the fish.

Instructions

Dead drift the bugger by adding a few jerking actions. Use the bugger for larger fish like lake trout and steelhead salmon. Arctic char, bluegill, northern pike, and even carp have found this lure hard to resist. However you chose to fish this lure, it can't be fished wrong. Crawling, creeping, darting, floating, and sinking are just some of the ways you can present the wooly bugger.

Weigh down the Wooly Bugger by using either a split-shot, a bead, or a cone head on the front of the shank of your rod to produce a bouncing action. When the lures land on the bottom of the lake, use a stop-and-go action. This also is called a rise-and-fall or yo-yo action.

Produce a "breathing" action to the lure by using a slow stop-and-go motion on the retrieve. Place a few BBs ahead of the lure to really turn the fish on. When casting with this method, cast upstream and across the current.

Produce a swimming action, focusing on the marabou on the tail of the Wooly Bugger. This helps to imitate swimming bait such as larva, tadpoles, or leeches to hungry fish. Put a bit of glimmer on the lure to make sure the fish see the bait.

Imitate smaller fish when the water is low and near a steep drop off such as a waterfall. This action replicates the movement of a little fish that has been
stunned by a steep landing. Cast and let the lure drift. Use a quick jerking action followed by a quick retrieve.

Devise different actions according to the water conditions. Slow action is recommended on small creeks or rivers. Faster action is recommended on lakes.

Different Set-up for the Hopper/Dropper

 I am sure a lot of you have fished the hopper dropper rig. I have use a dry and a smaller nymph as my dropper quite often.  I have also used dries as large as # 10 to fish a larger nymph as the dropper. I recently came across a video clip showing another way to rig the hopper dropper rig, by letting you adjust your dry fly along your leader, just like you would adjust your indicator. I think this clip is an excellent demonstration on how to rig an adjustable dry serving as an indicator. I am going to give this method a try on the Caney in the spring. I like the big dry fly concept because you are not only getting the benefit of the indicator as a fish catching tool, but you are putting a simulator out there for the trout too. Take a look and see what you think. If any of you have a more detail method showing how this set-up is rigged; please share.  Hopper/Dropper Demo Clip

Reflecting on Streamer Fishing This Past Summer

 Well I sitting here still trying to get rid of this persistent sinus infection. Checking my email I found an article concerning streamer fishing and it got me thinking about being introduced to the Bouface streamer this past summer. I must admit I haven’t done a lot of streamer fishing especially for trout. I do use the tungsten head wooly bugger some, but when it comes to fishing varieties of streamers I am kind of void. I know most all of us at one time has use the  bugger with success. I started experimenting with the streamer this past summer when a buddy and I got into some stripped bass. I had just ordered an assorted of flies and one of the patterns was a variation of a bugger but tied with a different pattern and design. It was the Bouface streamer, size 6 with a tungsten head. It made a believer out of me in a hurry after I landed some strips in the 3 lbs plus range. I was using a fast retrieve and they were nailing it usually at the end of the jerk. I had 4 Bouface Streamers with me that day and ended the morning with one, the others were lost in the mouths of some larger strips that I never turned around. That one experience showed me what a streamer was capable of and how aggressive a fish can be when they see this fly in the water column. I really like the Tungsten head version because of the sink rate. I am  looking forward to using the Zunker, and the Bouface in the spring on the Caney Fork and of course on Smith Lake. My son-in-law and I are planning a float trip on the Caney in early spring. The streamer fishing should be hot at that time for some of the big browns. I am going to try some new streamer patterns on the lake as well. I think the streamer would be deadly worked around structure not only on the lake but on the river as well. Can't wait for sping to get here and get back to some great fly fishing.  

The bugger is always a winner. I like the olive and black along with the brown.

The Zonker Craw is one of those streamers I am going to give a try on the Caney and Smith in the coming spring and summer. This fly comes with the Tungsten head and has a fairly fast sink rate. Really a killer looking fly.



What Do Trout Really Eat???

  A very short lesson today in Entomology featuring some of the bugs we see every time we make it out to our local stream. I was really impressed with the information in this 8 minute video. It shows you how to match your flies to the different bugs one finds under those rocks at the bottom of the stream you may be fishing. I for one don’t take the time to inspect the rocks in the streams to see what the trout are really feeding on. I do notice the hatch but I don’t  the brother with the rocks, which could be very beneficial, when it comes to selecting the right fly to tie on. This video is only one in a series of great videos that include fishing the wooly bugger, and many more helpful videos in this series--Check out the video on what trout eat and see what you think.

Terrestrials Do We Use Them Enough

  How important are terrestrials in your fly box? I for one don’t use terrestrials enough. I know that there are certain times of the year when they are deadly and then at times they are non existence. If you think about it none of the traditional terrestrials spent their life cycle in the water. The ones that come to mind are the bees, wasps, houseflies, butterflies, caterpillars, spiders and others I probably forgot. An amazing thing I found out when I was doing this post was that less than 1% of these land bugs make up the trout’s diet during a season.   Most of the time these bugs are consumed by the trout after it has fallen from an over hanging branch. Of all the terrestrials my favorite is the grasshopper. I guess because it is I consider the most available in the summer months. There are lots of patterns out there that imitate the hopper, but the one I have found that resembles it best is the bug at Bass Pro. This is one of the most realistic grasshoppers I have ever seen. The special thing about this bug was the detail and the rubber legs. They are spread out as if the hopper is ready to leap. I notice when it lands on the water it still has the same position as on land, which makes it even more realistic to the fish. I found this fly about two weeks ago when I was in the fly shop at Bass Pro.



I bought a couple and can’t wait to try them out in the coming season. They come in a couple of sizes. I always thought a large hopper was the ticket when fishing for trout, but my buddy at the fly shop told me that the smaller version is perfect in early spring and early summer. They are a little pricey for a fly, but if they catch fish I am for it. Can’t wait for spring!!!

Fishing the Stimulator

  This is one of the best pieces I have read on Stimulators. I am fishing hoppers now on my local lake. The Spotted Bass love the big hoppers. I agree with this read concerning the float ability of the stimulator, nothing works better in fast runs. I picked up some really good information here. I hope this piece is also helpful to you as well.


Stimulators are definitely one the most popular "big" flies on trout streams. They are versatile, float well, visible, easy to tie, and can imitate a lot of different things. As soon as Stone Flies or Salmon Flies hatch, Stimulators will be effective and will continue to be right up through the fall. As soon as the Stone and Salmon Flies disappear, the hoppers will be hitting the water. Hopper imitations will work well into the Fall Caddis hatch. With the exception of color variations from the river to river and from hatch to hatch, the stimulator will imitate any of these bugs, as well as just looking like a tasty treat floating by.

Each river has its own variations of color and size of certain bugs that the Stimulator will imitate. As a general rule, below is a list of the colors that are typical for certain bugs and the times of the year they are generally present throughout North America.

May-July: Stone / Salmon Flies These big bugs hatch as soon as the river starts to clear and warm up. They vary in size greatly with good imitations tied on hooks from size 2 (huge) to size 18 (small) for Little Sallies. Stone Flies also vary in color widely depending on the river, so it is wise to check the colors you will need before you go. Most are some variation or combination of gray, brown, orange, tan, and or yellow.

July-September: Hoppers The hot summer months typically produce smaller aquatic insects than earlier in the year. This however is when land insects attain their full size. Grass Hoppers are something that hungry fish are always looking for as they uncontrollably fly and accidentally land on the water where they are helpless. Hoppers vary in size and color, but any good size stimulator pattern in yellow, tan, brown, green, orange, and maybe some red combination will usually bring trout to the surface. Many times though, they are wary, so the fly needs to be fished naturally and with light tippet, as the water is usually low and clear this time of year.

September-November: Fall Caddis Known by many names such as October, Fall, and Autumn Caddis, it is not hard to figure out when these super-sized caddises are in the rivers. As far as shape goes, Fall Caddis looks exactly like any other caddis. But for size, they are much bigger with patterns tied on hook sizes 6-12 being the norm. Regular Caddis can be any color, but the only color you will need for October Caddis is a creamy orange color. A stimulator with an orange body is about as good as it gets when chasing trout in the fall, almost no matter which North American river you are trout fishing. The odd thing about this hatch is that you will not see them emerging out of the water and flying all around like other caddis hatches. Turn over some rocks though or look in the bushes along the bank and you will find them. Just when you think there are none around is when one will scare you by crawling up the back of your neck. When they do fly you know what it is as it will struggle to stay in the air, and then hit the water and release its eggs, hopefully before getting eaten. Anyway, if you plan to be on a trout stream in the fall, be sure to have some orange stimulators in your fly box (yellow will probably work too).

Fishing a Stimulator Stimulators are one of my favorite patterns to fish. They are easy to cast, highly visible, and the fish love them. Just squirt a little fly floatant on it and you are ready to fish. I like to fish them in fast water where fish will see them and not have much time to make up their mind as to whether or not it is real. Usually, you can get by with heavier tippet with these than with small imitations. I typically use 3X or 4X, unless they are being finicky, then I will go a little lighter to 5X tippet. If I see even one stonefly in the sky throughout the day, I will immediately tie on a Stimulator of some color variation depending on the river. If there are stoneflies on the water, those fish will be looking up, and a big juicy insect is too much to pass up.

Favorite Fly Patterns for Anytime, Anywhere

 I thought I would share with everyone today some of the flies I have started sticking in my fly boxes. Notice I said fly boxes. I can look back on my fly fishing over the years and it only amounted to a K-Mart combo fly rod and a few poppers, and that was it. But since I got back into the sport some 3 years ago I added the trout aspect and that opens up a whole new avenue. Better rods, reels, and a lot more flies, not only for the trout but for the bass and gills I pursuit. So now I not only have the trout flies, bass, and bluegill flies as well. My K-Mart combo has been replaced with rods for nymphing, dries, and large Spotted Bass on the lake. Even rods for small streams, verses tailraces, and lakes come into play. So you might say I have done a complete 360 when it comes to fly fishing.

  The following flies are some I used on the lake and some on the tailraces I fish. I always have flies in reserve that I don't put into the fly boxes until I am running low on a particular fly. I don't tie my flies so I order everything I use which comes packed nicely in small boxes. I keep saying I am going to take a fly tying class, but there never seems to be enough time. I am usually on the water at least 3 days a week, and the rest of the week is taken up with gym and chores.
  A lot of the patterns listed below would work most anywhere in the U.S. and a lot of these flies are common in most fly boxes. There are some flies not mentioned here that would be a must for individuals who live out west or in the eastern part of the U.S. So take a look and see what you think, and I welcome any additions.

1. Olive wooly bugger ----Warmwater & coldwater

2. Black wooly bugger ---Warmwater & coldwater

3. Grasshopper (yellow body) ---Warmwater & coldwater

4. Purple wooly bugger---Warmwater & coldwater

5. Brown Wooly bugger----Warmwater & coldwater

6. Flashback pheasant tail nymphs

7. Copper john

8. Prince nymph

9. Variety of Large Poppers for Smallmouth, Spotted Bass, and Largemouth

10. Stimulator

11. Beadhead Hairs Ear 

12. Soft hackle streamers

13. Griffiths Gnat

14. Adams dry flies

15. Clouser Minnow--warm water and cold water fishing 

16. Variety of small poppers and nymphs--Warmwater fishing 

17. Beadhead Bouface Brown 

18. Zebra midges in the Firebuy variety a dozen different colors new on the market

19. Bluewing olive dry fly

20. San Juan Worm--different colors

Notice I didn't mention sizes because that can vary depending on the region.

Brass and Tungsten Bead Head Nymphs

I recently read this article on one of my alerts and thought it was interesting. I am using the Tungsten bead head now a lot because of its sink rate. This article really drives home the importance of using Tungsten.
Talk to any fly angler and they will tell you the most consistent technique for catching trout is by nymphing. This technique is successful because trout take the majority of their food from deep in the water column where nymphs are most abundant. To be a successful nymph angler you need to get your nymph down to the stream bottom and that is where bead headed flies come into The most common type of bead used on nymphs is a brass bead. Tungsten beads are becoming more and more popular these days and have a few advantages over brass in some situations. Glass beads are also used but more as a component rather than as a weight source. I'm pretty much of a traditionalist when it comes to nymph patterns and usually sticks with the Prince, Pheasant Tail, and Hare's Ear.
 Tungsten is about 40% heavier than brass so equivalent sized patterns will have the scales tipping on the side of tungsten. This becomes very important when you are fishing in fast water, deep water or you want the nymph to really stay tight to the stream bottom. The key here is being able to control the fly better. Let's say you have identified a nice fish holding in a trough in about four feet of water and the current is fairly brisk. You have a #12 brass bead head Prince tied on and you figure that you will need to cast about twenty feet upstream of the lie to get the right drift. After you make your cast you still need to make several mends to get the fly down and you still need to keep control of the line. By using a heavier tungsten bead fly you will probably only need to make the cast ten to fifteen feet above your target because the fly will descend quicker getting to the proper depth and drift. Because you have less line on or in the water you automatically have more control of the fly.
 A similar situation would be that you need a #14 Pheasant Tail to tumble around the gravel and rocks right on the bottom because that is where the fish are eating and they aren't taking anything any larger than a #14. Unfortunately, your #14 brass bead fly doesn't get you to the bottom because the current is too fast. A #10 brass bead fly gets you to the bottom but the trout don't even give it a sniff because it is too big. The extra weight of the #14 tungsten fly gets you right to the bottom and with the size of the fly the fish are feeding on. Bingo.
 What makes fly fishing so exciting is that it is constant experimentation and when you get all the factors right you are rewarded with a fish on the line. Dialing into the right flyweight is one of those factors that can turn your success rate around in a hurry. So, if you don't have an assortment of tungsten beaded flies, add a few patterns to your fly box and see what success they can bring to you.

What is Your Favorite go to Fly When Nothing is Working??

Here is the situation that I have encountered on this remote river, which I have never fished before. I walk up to the edge of the bank and notice there is no hatch, low water and nothing rising. I do see some great seams and some pocket water but with no activity. Am I over stating the situation here or could this be any cold water river or stream in the U.S. at any given time of the year.
  So with fly box in hand what flies would I tie on to get a take? Should I start out with a dry or a dry with a dropper, or a nymph, or even a double nymph?? When the average fly fisherman, notice I said “AVERAGE” and that is what I consider myself when confronted with this type situation what are the must flies he should have in his box to get a take?
  I realize that on certain rivers or streams and in certain areas of the country that there are different hatches, changing water conditions, and different climate changes. I am sure all of use have encountered this situation at different times of the day on our favorite river or stream, and I know that we all have our go to fly that we always try to get that hit with. They may be a variety of dries or nymphs or even some go to streamers. So what are the most reliable at anytime of the year, or is there such a fly? I am just wandering sitting here with my laptop today with the temps outside at 103 and the heat index at 109.

Discovering The Muddler Minnow

On Thursday of last week, I discovered a new dry fly. In fact, I discovered this fly around dusty dark on one of our local lakes. This thing really lit up my spirits on two different takes right before I left the lake when I was able to land the two largest bream I have ever caught on the fly rod. This 'thing" I am referring to is the Muddler Minnow. I know many of you have heard of this fly number of times, but with me, this is my first experience fishing with it. You know in fly fishing there are flies that really have a great looking appearance to the individual who is fishing it. Then, there are also files in my opinion that are just plain ugly and their appearance looks grungy; well this is the Muddler. But regardless of appearance, this thing will catch fish. I did a little research on the Muddler and found out it has been around since 1937. Don Gapen from Minnesota first tied the fly to imitate the slimy sculpin. To me, it looks more like a moth. I like the fact that I can fish it as a dry or as a nymph. I landed both big gills with the dry presentation, but I will be trying it as a nymph on my next trip. The Muddler could be the fly to help me land some of those elusive 14" to 16" bows on our tailrace below Smith Lake.  I would need to add weight to get the fly down where the big trout hang out. I found the version I was using last week in a fly shop in Birmingham Alabama which is about 30 minutes south of Jasper. I only bought just the one thinking negatives thoughts about the two bucks I paid for it, but now after it proved its worth here I am keyboarding its praises. In fact, I was so impressed that I paid that fly shop another visit this past weekend and bought two other colors. I will post a report on their progress on the water in the coming weeks.