Woolly Bugger

The Woolly Bugger is one of the most effective and most versatile streamers!

There are also a lot of different ways to tie this fly. Instead of rooster saddle hackles, some tutorials suggest chenille. Lacking the correct hackle I have successfully used marabou in a dubbing loop as a substitute. Everything that catches, is allowed.

Common colors are black or olive with a golden bead as a head. But also white, brown, tan, orange, yellow, and even pink catch their fish in the right time and place. You can use a beadhead or conehead, and if you use dumbell eyes you’ll end up with a pattern called “Polar Magnus”, which is famous for seatrout.

I tie the Woolly Bugger, as Christian Kuchelmeister tought me, he is one of the best fly tiers in Germany. He ties in the marabou parallel to the hook shank, and doesn’t wind it around the shank. In this way, the body of the streamer stays slender.

Materials used:

• Hook with a long shank, e.g. Gamakatsu F16 or Tiemco 765SP/TC size 6-10
• tungsten or brass bead (I use mostly 3.8mm)
• Marabou Strung of the desired color
• hackles e.g. WAPSI Strung Rooster Saddle Long
• tying thread of the respective color, e.g. Unithread 6/0
• something flashy e.g. HENDS Krystal Flash color pearl
• copper wire