Wooly Buggers

​The humble wooly bugger has probably caught more fish than most other fly patterns. It’s a go to for many anglers in times of doubt and has proven itself time and time again. It will catch fish in most types of water- stillwaters, rivers and small streams. What exactly it is meant to imitate isn’t known but it’s likely to be a range of things- freshwater crayfish, minnows, and a lot of other food sources for trout.
It is thought to come from Pennsylvania where Russell Blessing as early as 1967 made this pattern to imitate a dobsonfly nymph. Bill Hunter in his book The Professionals Favourite Flies that “The Woolly Bugger is so effective; it should be banned from some watersheds. I suspect its effectiveness is due to its resemblance to so many edible creatures in the water—nymphs, leeches, salamanders, or even small sculpins. Its tail undulating behind a fibre, bubble-filled body is just too much for most fish to resist. It just looks like a meal!”
The most popular colours are black, olive and brown which are suited to different scenarios. Black is good for nighttime, whereas a yellow version goes well in discoloured water. They are a good fly to tie for beginners as they incorporate many skills, and a very useful pattern. Make sure you’ve got a few sizes and patterns in your fly boxes, and when in doubt, tie on a bugger!