Bugger Tails

[Dave G. 0]

Preaching to the choir, Dave.

If I only kept the flies that were perfect, I wouldn't have any.

My answer was purely from an artistic view of what looks good TO ME. As is often stated on this, and other, sites ... "pretty flies catch anglers."

Oh I know and I Get It, Mike !! Not so different for me.

[mikechell 0]

The other part of your post ... "Wooly buggers catch fish." I know everyone says it. I am sure it's true. But it requires proper hackle and so far, I've had no reason to buy any. The flies I use catch fish, too. Someday, I'll break down and purchase a good batch of hackle and tie intruders and dry flies and, yes, buggers.

[Gene L 0]

It doesn't take all that much attention to detail so far as hackle or tail length. I honestly can't say how long I make the tail as I do it casually without a lot of measuring My buggers are generally size 8 or 6 and I use schalppen for palmering for those larger sizes. WBs are very productive flies and I don't think if you're in reason you can over hackle one.. I weight mine and in the larger siizes. They take bass regularly. When wet, as you know, maribou gets small as it compacts and it's kinda hard to over-tail a WB.

[RogueFlies 0]

 

 

I usually do a hook shank length for the tail, just one marabou feather. I agree that more than one is too much for my tastes. The fish here seem to like a hook shank length better than the shorter lengths.

Nice one, looks a lot like some of mine that I use as searching buggers !!

Thank you Dave. They definitely don't ever fail, something magical about them I guess haha. This one I used a method off of flyfish foods "tie a better wooly bugger" by starting the hackle at the eye and working back securing it with wire. I'm not sure on durability yet, but it definitely made tying them a lot easier.

[JSzymczyk 0]

I still don't get this story which is constantly repeated "Marabou compacts when it gets wet"... I've been tying and fishing woolly buggers and other marabou flies for 35+ years and apparently I'm doing it wrong?

 

When marabou is fully saturated, and the fly is IN THE WATER, it looks almost exactly the same as it does when dry IN THE AIR. Yes it moves differently because water is so much more dense than water.

 

You have to take that fly and make sure the marabou is completely saturated for it to do what it is supposed to do. Grab the fly, shake it in the water, splash it around, pinch the marabou like it's a little sponge, soak it.

[flytire 0]

exactly but wont the marabou become compact as its pulled/stripped/retrieved in the water and then open back up after it is stopped?

[Dave G. 0]

exactly but wont the marabou become compact as its pulled/stripped/retrieved in the water and then open back up after it is stopped?

Yep, thus Undulation !! Retrieve -Pause-Retrieve-Pause= Strike .

[mikechell 0]

When marabou is fully saturated, and the fly is IN THE WATER, it looks almost exactly the same as it does when dry IN THE AIR.

This is only true when the fly is completely motionless. You can take dry marabou, blow on it as hard as you can, and it will still look somewhat "fluffy".

When it's wet and in the water ... with the lightest forward motion, the marabou "compresses down" and can look like a very thin line.

As Dave says, this is want makes it so GOOD underwater, strip and it compresses ... stop and it flares out. And it continues to move with any little current in the water.

But for those flies that are designed to be swung in current, I'd be less likely to use marabou. No stopping to allow it to flare out.

[flytire 0]

but it doesnt always have to flare out. the current will move the marabou around albeit in a compressed state

 

marabou squid underwater

 

[Dave G. 0]

but it doesnt always have to flare out. the current will move the marabou around albeit in a compressed state

 

marabou squid underwater

 

flytire, you come up with the most amazing material honestly ! Now I know how my smelt pattern looks underwater, I tie one very similar to how that squid is tied and have caught many many salmon on it. It's a more sparse tie and different coloring though..

[kennebec12 0]

Thanks guys, maybe I'll tie up a few with longer tails over the winter and see if it seems to make a difference.

[mikechell 0]

Okay ... I stand partially corrected. There's more movement in that marabou than I expected while in forward motion. Looks good!

[heavynets 0]

I think you will see a difference in the action of the marabou depending on how it is tied on the hook. The Marabou Squid appears to have the feather either wrapped around the hook or done with a dubbing loop. Buggers are built by tying the feather in parallel to the hook. I have never seen my buggers have the action as shown in the above video. Nor do I thing the action is necessary. Clousers have a slim profile and no action when paused, yet they are one of the best.

[flytire 0]

Wooly bugger in water

 

[Dave G. 0]

Wooly bugger in water

 

Gee, I wonder why they catch fish .