Woolly buggers

[rpm0024 0]

Hello. New to the forum and new to the fly tying scene. I have a question about my woolly buggers, do these look too Uhm. "Woolly"? These are my first ever flies so bear with me.

 

Thank you,

 

Ryan.

[josephcsylvia 0]

Too much marabou on the tails which are also too long, the grey one on the top right has the wrong part of the feather for the tail. Keep it up you'll get it. Pull up a picture and use it while you are tying it helps alot.

[rstaight 0]

Hard to tell what the bodies look like because of amount of marabou in the tails. Way to much, more is not better and like Joseph said you used the wrong part of the feather on the gray one.

 

Since these are your first ties, keep them. When I took my flyting classes the first fly we tied was a wooly bugger. Man mine is ugly, but I keep it in my fly box to remind me of "the good old days" before tying turned into an addiction.

 

One trick I used when I started tying with material proportions, was to say to my self, this is how much I will need and take half of that. It is always easier to add more if needed than remove it if you have to much. You will get the hang of it.

 

Good luck and keep tying.

[josephcsylvia 0]

Exactly, usually if you have good marabou, say extra select, what I do is tie the tip of the marabou feather in as the tail about 1 hook length, I dont trim the marabou off but tie in your hackle tip first. The take the marabou and wrap it down the hook shank as your chinelle tie off at the eye and Palmer your hackle tie off and done, this is a easy way to tie some burgers with just two feathers

[rstaight 0]

Exactly, usually if you have good marabou, say extra select, what I do is tie the tip of the marabou feather in as the tail about 1 hook length, I dont trim the marabou off but tie in your hackle tip first. The take the marabou and wrap it down the hook shank as your chinelle tie off at the eye and Palmer your hackle tie off and done, this is a easy way to tie some burgers with just two feathers

 

I have not seen a bugger tied in that fashion. I'd like to see a pic if you could post one.

[josephcsylvia 0]

When I get home from work ill post one its how alot of people tie the rear hook of a sex dungeon which is essentially a bugger so I started tying my buggers that way and it makes the that much faster.

 

Here's where I first got the idea, starts around 50 sec in till about 1:09 he's using schlappen but you get the idea.

[Dave G. 0]

Exactly, usually if you have good marabou, say extra select, what I do is tie the tip of the marabou feather in as the tail about 1 hook length, I dont trim the marabou off but tie in your hackle tip first. The take the marabou and wrap it down the hook shank as your chinelle tie off at the eye and Palmer your hackle tie off and done, this is a easy way to tie some burgers with just two feathers

Really the way you tie yours Joseph can produce a nice fly but I don't think I'd still call it a Woolly Bugger. The Woolly Bugger has a standard pattern to it with some room for variation but I don't think palmering the tail all the way down the hook shank is one. Just sayin and I've certainly been wrong before so not afraid to be corrected, after all I am speaking without seeing LOL.

[Dave G. 0]

Hello. New to the forum and new to the fly tying scene. I have a question about my woolly buggers, do these look too Uhm. "Woolly"? These are my first ever flies so bear with me.

 

Thank you,

 

Ryan.

I got to tell you, and others can disagree on marabou length all they want, but my wife would be all over that black one you tied and then go catch some monster fish on it. She specifically likes the tails extra fluffy and long and she has caught some corker fish on them. Actually my stepson too, he is where she got the idea from. They are from the school of bigger fly bigger fish. Ya know what ? I can't argue with them. Although a different coloration but still with the black fluffy tail, of us guys going up north for land locked salmon, the biggest taken yet was 24" and it was on one of those.

 

Now that said, you should still learn to tie one in the traditional way too.

[josephcsylvia 0]

Agreed that its not a traditional bugger in the sense of original pattern, but I certainly fishes like one, im not a purist in most sense I also think that the tail can be tied as thick or sparse as you would like really if it works that's what your tying for. However I have had problems with too thick of a tail fouling.

[rpm0024 0]

Should I pinch tie one on the far side and one on the near side? Or how do you make it conceal the hook with just 1?

 

Thanks for all the replies guys!

 

Ryan.

[FlaFly 0]

Just go to www.flyanglersonline.com and scroll down to Fly Tying, Beginner, and go to the Wooly Booger (I think it's the first fly under Beginners). Follow the instructions. Don't deviate. Tie about a dozen and you'll see the difference.

[Dave G. 0]

Agreed that its not a traditional bugger in the sense of original pattern, but I certainly fishes like one, im not a purist in most sense I also think that the tail can be tied as thick or sparse as you would like really if it works that's what your tying for. However I have had problems with too thick of a tail fouling.

Yep, they do foul. Doesn't stop my wife though. And too if you use a shorter shank hook than usual you actually get less fouling, there comes a point like with short shank streamer flies that the marabou is the ruler and determiner of the pattern not the hook. But then it could be said again , that is such a variation it's no longer a bugger LOL !

[mikechell 0]

... how do you make it conceal the hook with just 1?

Ryan.

Don't try to conceal the hook. The fish certainly don't "think" and realize it's a "hook".

[josephcsylvia 0]

 

 

... how do you make it conceal the hook with just 1?

Ryan.

Don't try to conceal the hook. The fish certainly don't "think" and realize it's a "hook".

right, and marabou collapses in the water so your not concealing it anyway just adding bulk.

[Dave G. 0]

Should I pinch tie one on the far side and one on the near side? Or how do you make it conceal the hook with just 1?

 

Thanks for all the replies guys!

 

Ryan.

Here is a video on the basics of one way to do it. You don't have to have his brand loyalty, though he picked decent materials ( the first video it's 8 and some odd minutes long). https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=tying+your+first+wooly+bugger+video&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001