Wooly Buggers...

[ETibbs 0]

I'm tying a few buggers today and wanted to see if anyone had any advice on the hackle or an alternative to saddle hackle.

 

The saddle hackle I have is all just so stiff. The action in the water is minimal. I was thinking about using marabou and found a post on here about a guy who used marabou.

 

With all that said, any ideas, advice, etc? Maybe Ice Wing? I'll try it now

[BassMouth87 0]

A pattern that I tie and have had lots of luck with uses krystal hackle for the ribbing around the body. I also make a collar of a buggy dubbing that I brush back.

 

[switch10 0]

I'm tying a few buggers today and wanted to see if anyone had any advice on the hackle or an alternative to saddle hackle.

 

The saddle hackle I have is all just so stiff. The action in the water is minimal. I was thinking about using marabou and found a post on here about a guy who used marabou.

 

With all that said, any ideas, advice, etc? Maybe Ice Wing? I'll try it now

 

Ice wing, or any other synthetic or natural materials with long fibers in a dubbing loop should work fine. Try it out.

[flytire 0]

so why not use strung hackle?

 

 

whiting bugger hackle

 

[m_grieb 0]

Flytire is right, both of this options are excellent and are my go-to's

[Istripbuggers 0]

Ya I'm a huge fan of the bugger packs, relatively cheap and still have that whitings quality, or try some estaz for your body without hackle. Or you can do just a couple wraps of soft hackle up behind the head.

[flytire 0]

i even use those larger feathers on the sides of dry fly capes that would not get used otherwise. as long as that marabou tail provides some movement and the fish hits it i really dont care where the feathers come from.

 

stiff barbs will have some movement and its obvious that it wont be as good as a softer feather.

 

another thought would be to use the longest cdc feather you have and use that to replace the hackle.

 

i wouldn't over think this too much. tie some flies with whatever hackles you have and let the ultimate judge (the fish) decide.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

I have always used strung saddle hackle and it has worked fine. The only problem is finding feathers in those packs with barbs short enough for smaller buggers (#8-10).

 

The Whiting Bugger Packs look perfect. They are a little more expensive but they look just right in every way. I would go with those if you can.

[Crotalus 0]

I like the whiting bugger packs.

[tctrout 0]

I'm tying a few buggers today and wanted to see if anyone had any advice on the hackle or an alternative to saddle hackle.

 

The saddle hackle I have is all just so stiff. The action in the water is minimal. I was thinking about using marabou and found a post on here about a guy who used marabou.

 

With all that said, any ideas, advice, etc? Maybe Ice Wing? I'll try it now

 

I love tying buggers with a variety of feathers, but especially like those that are buggier (bc you get more action in the water). Clearwater Hackle has schlappen, which is great for this. Here's a video I made featuring that kind of material:

 

 

Here's another bugger, not with schlappen, but again, very buggy material:

 

 

TC

[planettrout 0]

I tie a lot of Seal Buggers and variations of Denny Rickards' pattern. Like flytire, I use the Whiting Bugger packs and snatch them up whenever I come across them:

 

 

 

I also like J. Fair products, for the construction of the abdomen... and grab his Seal Dubbing whenver I come across it at Bob Marriotts...

 

 

They also hve some other interesting materials - like Wiggle Tail and Swimming Hackle which may be found here:

 

http://jayfairflies.com/

 

 

PT/TB

[Istripbuggers 0]

Oooh.. Me likey thanks pt, those look good!