Woolly Bugger
![Woolly Bugger, Purple](https://flyfishingthesierra.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bugger.jpg)
Woolly Bugger, Purple
Tying Instructions
Materials
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Hook | TMC 5263, sizes 4-10 or TMC 9395, sizes 4-10 |
Thread | Danville Black 6/0 |
Head | Gold Bead |
Hackle | Purple Saddle hackle palmered through body and two wraps behind the bead. |
Body | Purple Chenille, medium |
Ribbing | Copper wire with two strands Purple Krystalflash |
Tail | Purple Marabou with 4 strands of Purple Krystalflash |
![Minnow](https://flyfishingthesierra.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/minnow.jpg)
![Russell Blessing](https://flyfishingthesierra.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/blessing.jpg)
Russell Blessing
Woolly Bugger
While the Woolly Bugger has it’s origins in older British Patterns, the Palmer and the “Tadpole Fly”, most attribute the origins of this fly to Russell Blessing of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the early 1970’s. Barry Beck promoted the fly and it has become one of the most popular streamer flies of our time.
Derivation of the Woolly Worm?
Jack Dennis has suggested that the Woolly Bugger origins are actually a U.S. Western derivation of the Woolly Worm pattern created by Don Martinez in the 1940’s. A group of fly fishermen using Martinez’ Woolly Worms substituted the Red Hackle tail with Red Marabou, calling the fly “Big Red” or Henry’s Lake Leech. If you don’t clip the palmered hackle, it closely resembles a Woolly Bugger.
Kids come up with the best names
In 1967, Russell Blessing added a Black Marabou tail to a Black hackled Olive chenille Woolly Worm. He used the fly for smallmouth bass, suspecting that it imitated a hellgrammite known as a Dobsonfly larvae. Barry Beck encountered Russell on the Little Lehigh River in Pennsylvania and found that the fly was extremely successful. Beck wrote an article on Blessing’s Wooly Bugger in 1984 and the fly became one of America’s most popular patterns. According to Blessing, the Woolly Bugger was inspired by another pattern known as the Blossom Fly and his daughter, Judy, came up with the name “Woolly Bugger”. Russell Blessing passed away in Oct of 2009 at the age of 74.
Presentation
The fly is fished as a streamer and probably imitates either baitfish or leeches. It can be used for stonefly and damselfly nymph imitations. Woolly Buggers can be tied in many colors: Brown, Black, Olive, Purple, Red, with various combinations. Dave Whitlock has suggested three main colors useful for deep-water or limited visibility situations:
- Black is your best all-around color for these conditions as it develops a good silhouette even under nighttime conditions.
- White works when there is any light available since it reflects the most.
- Yellow-Chartreuse is the last to lose it’s color-value in deep waters.
Simple to tie and one of the best
A very simple fly to tie, it is generally one of the first to learn. It can be weighted for stillwater purposes and trolled or stripped with a slight pulsating action. When used for baitfish imitations, the fly should be tied with a full marabou tail. On damsel and stonefly imitations, you can snip off half of the tail fibers. A few strands of Krystal Flash in the tail adds some reflectivity to the fly.
Variations
Variations of the pattern use different types of beadheads for the head. The body is often modified utilizing Crystal Chenille, Lite Brite, Peacock Herl, and Estaz Chenille. Rubberlegs can be added for additional action. Basically, the fly allows a multitude of different materials. What makes the fly defined as a bugger is (usually) a Marabou Tail with a body that has a palmered hackle wrapping it. Sometimes, this can get confusing, but remember the adage, “If it looks like a bugger, then it probably is.”
Variations
![Olive Woolly Bugger](https://flyfishingthesierra.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/buggervar1.jpg)
Olive Woolly Bugger
Hook | TMC 5263, sizes 4-10 |
Thread | Danville Black 6/0 |
Head | Danville Black 6/0 |
Weight | 0.020 Leadfree Wire |
Hackle | Olive Saddle hackle palmered through body |
Body | Olive Ultra Chenille, Standard |
Ribbing | Copper wire with two strands Olive Krystalflash |
Tail | Olive Marabou with 4 strands of Olive Krystalflash |
![Black Woolly Bugger](https://flyfishingthesierra.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/buggervar2.jpg)
Black Woolly Bugger
Hook | TMC 5263, sizes 4-10 |
Thread | Danville Black 6/0 |
Head | Black Bead |
Hackle | Black Saddle hackle palmered through body |
Body | Black Chenille, medium |
Ribbing | Copper wire |
Tail | Black Marabou with 4 strands of Black Krystalflash |
![Brown Woolly Bugger](https://flyfishingthesierra.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/buggervar3.jpg)
Brown Woolly Bugger
Hook | TMC 5263, sizes 4-10 |
Thread | Danville Black 6/0 |
Head | Danville Black 6/0 |
Weight | 0.020 Leadfree Wire |
Hackle | Brown Saddle hackle palmered through body and two wraps Brown Saddle hackle behind head |
Body | Brown Chenille, Large |
Ribbing | Copper wire |
Tail | Brown Marabou with 4 strands of Copper Wing N Flash |
![Little Olive Bugger](https://flyfishingthesierra.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/buggervar4.jpg)
Little Olive Bugger
Hook | TMC 5263, sizes 4-10 |
Thread | Danville Black 6/0 |
Head | Gold Bead |
Weight | 0.020 Leadfree Wire |
Hackle | Olive dyed Grizzly Saddle Hackle palmered through body |
Body | Olive Angora |
Ribbing | Copper wire |
Tail | Olive Grizzly Marabou with 4 strands of Olive Krystalflash |