First Fly Tied - Wooly Bugger

[CDewberry 0]

Okay, wow that was something else! 😝 Broke thread, tied the hackle in wrong way, I substituted. Dang, whip finishes look easier on YT! Tied on a Togen's Size 12 3X Streamer with a 3.2mm brass bead, some antron chenille, and pearl flashbabou. Pretty sure the tail is too long. I can just pinch it off right?  Please critique. Thanks.

[Philly 0]

It will fish.  To me the tail is too long.  A general rule of the thumb is the tail should be the length of the hook shank.  I'm not sure what you used for the hackle but you've really crammed a lot of material on the hook.  Generally,  I use saddle hackle tied in by the tip and wrapped forward. Don't feel bad about the whip finish.  I've been tying for over 30 years and still don't know how to do a decent whip finish.  One trick I've picked up over the years when working with bead heads is to wrap down the material behind the bead.  Leave a small space between the bead and the hook eye.  I bring the thread over the bead, build a small thread head then finish it with a half hitch tool.

That said I don't use a whole lot  of woolly buggers.  I carry three colors in my fly box, white, yellow and black.  This is not the best example of a woolly bugger but this is how I tie them.  It's tied on a 3 xl hook.  It might be a size 6 or possibly larger.

 

[SilverCreek 0]

5 hours ago, CDewberry said:

Okay, wow that was something else! 😝 Broke thread, tied the hackle in wrong way, I substituted. Dang, whip finishes look easier on YT! Tied on a Togen's Size 12 3X Streamer with a 3.2mm brass bead, some antron chenille, and pearl flashbabou. Pretty sure the tail is too long. I can just pinch it off right?  Please critique. Thanks.

 

 

1. The fly is tied on the wrong hook. It should be a 3XL 2XH hook,

2. It looks like you clipped the hackle fibers - that are not naturally tapered.

2. Tail is too long which will lead to strikes that are behind the hookpoint. These are called "short strikes."

Take a look at the instructions below.

https://flyfishingthesierra.com/woolly_bugger.htm

 

[Poopdeck 0]

What a great beginning, congratulations!  I’d say your tail is at least double maybe more than what I prefer. Yes, use the edge of your scissors to snap the end of the tail off. I do this on every bugger I tie as a matter of routine. It’s hard to see in the picture but it looks like your body could have been longer. Whip finishing is actually super simple just don’t let your mind complicate the process. Bait fishermen know the whip finish as a simple snell knot. 

questions:

what was the wrong way you tied the hackle in?

what type and size thread did you use?

Is there a rib?

 

[flytire 0]

Basic Wooly Bugger

Hook - Mustad 9671, 9672 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Weight - Lead/lead free wire

Tail - Marabou and krystal flash (optional)

Ribbing - Gold wire

Hackle - Black, brown, grizzly etc

Body - Chenille (your favorite color)

 

Hackle may be tied in by the tip at the hook bend and wrapped forward or by the butt at the hook eye and wrapped rearward and tied down by the wire ribbing

[CDewberry 0]

42 minutes ago, Poopdeck said:

What a great beginning, congratulations!  I’d say your tail is at least double maybe more than what I prefer. Yes, use the edge of your scissors to snap the end of the tail off. I do this on every bugger I tie as a matter of routine. It’s hard to see in the picture but it looks like your body could have been longer. Whip finishing is actually super simple just don’t let your mind complicate the process. Bait fishermen know the whip finish as a simple snell knot. 

questions:

what was the wrong way you tied the hackle in?

what type and size thread did you use?

Is there a rib?

 

So, on first tie in of the hackle (Hairline Hen Saddle) I didn't tie the tip but rather, the butt. And it didn't dawn on me until after I had tied in the chenille. So I had to reverse and redo. And, there is something wrong with the hackle for sure. Wrong product probably.  It was all I had.

Thread was Danville 70D. No rib. Just a simple bugger. /Clayton

[CDewberry 0]

29 minutes ago, flytire said:

Basic Wooly Bugger

Hook - Mustad 9671, 9672 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Weight - Lead/lead free wire

Tail - Marabou and krystal flash (optional)

Ribbing - Gold wire

Hackle - Black, brown, grizzly etc

Body - Chenille (your favorite color)

 

Hackle may be tied in by the tip at the hook bend and wrapped forward or by the butt at the hook eye and wrapped rearward and tied down by the wire ribbing

That is a classic. Thanks.

[niveker 0]

20 hours ago, CDewberry said:

Okay, wow that was something else! 

Good job, I say, a nice egg sucking leech pattern.

All good and valid points made above, but I'd fish it just as it is and make any adjustments, like shortening the tail, after you've tried it out in the water. 

 

[cebe 0]

If you look at a Murrays Hellgrammite it often has a tail as long as you have tied. I would just suggest a wider gap hook. Don’t really need a much heavier wire hook if you are adding a beadhead for weight.

[CDewberry 0]

Appreciate the insights, comments, and suggestions. Thanks!

[DarrellP 0]

I don't have much to add.  It will likely catch a fish.  I like a longer tail for Bass.  They seldom strike short and like a lot of movement.  If you are tying a long tail, tie in a mono loop or calf tail under the marabou to prevent fouling the hook (marabou wrapping around the hook).

[Fruitrollup 0]

A really good tie from my perspective.  I toss a lot of buggers with tails 1.5 to 2 times the hook shank in lakes and they fish well.  The competition crowd call them humongous buggers.  Keep up the tying different variation and give the flies a swim with the fishes to see what works for you.  Here is a tutorial from Fly Fish Food for the Humongous Bugger.  https://www.flyfishfood.com/blogs/stillwater-tutorials/humongous-bugger
 

[SilverCreek 0]

How well does the humongous bugger fish in rivers?

Do you get short strikes that miss the hook because of the longer tail that is twice the length of the body?

[Fruitrollup 0]

I find if you feel a short strike, slow your retrieve or stop the fly and let the fish have another go at it.  The flies, for me fish well in rivers and lakes, any where I am imitating a bait fish or leech.  You can always pinch off a little of the tail on the water if you get a bunch of short strikes and see if you hook more fish.  Give em a try and see what the fish think.  The fish below was caught on a Humongous Bugger with foam eyes (Humongous Boobie) in a lake. 

[phluffhead 0]

Great for a first fly! You'll be amazed at your improvement after you tie a couple more. Other than a shorter tail, pinching off the marabou tips, etc just a tip for the marabou: wet it in a sink, it'll be easier to size to the hook shank and work with/attach in general.

I've been following this Tim Flagler video for my WB's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwUWGMuHkWE

Though I should try tying it in by the tail from the tip of the hackle 🤔