IMPROVED Cone Head Woolly Bugger - BLACK

The venerable Woolly Bugger catches fish in all waters. Designed to imitate a leech, worm, or small swimming fish, the maribou tail gives the fly life and looks like food to fish of all kinds. Adding a cone head to the Bugger takes it deeper more quickly, and gives it a better profile for fast water.

How Can We Improve the Woolly Bugger?

A.K. Best points out two issues with the woolly bugger in his book Production Fly Tying. First, Buggers tend to produce short strikes. From the fisherman's standpoint, this feels like a strike but no fish when you set the hook. From the fish's perspective, the fish goes for the fly and winds up with a mouth full of the marabou tail. Second, there's the problem of wet marabou wrapping halfway around the hook bend (because it's so long) and producing a corkscrew motion that twists the leader and tries the patience.

Here's A.K.'s answer: First, tie the tail at a point in line with the hook point, not the start of the hook bend. This puts more of the hook in the tail and shortens the marabou that extends beyond the end of the hook. Second, tie in a small bunch of hair below the marabou that serves to hold the marabou up above the hook. This also increases the motion of the marabou. That's the improved Woolly Bugger!

Another FFS improvement is using hen rather than rooster hackle. This gives a softer body that looks--well--more "woolly" and moves provocatively in the water. Try a couple of our improved woolly buggers. You'll see that the real improvement is in the number of fish you catch!

Fishing the Woolly Bugger

Fish the Bugger for trout, bass, and panfish. This is a wet fly, weighted to sink relatively quickly; the chenille body absorbs water quickly and heads for the bottom even in rough waters. With lake or pond fishing, use a count down to allow the fly to sink, then start with a slow (figure-8 perhaps) retrieve. If a 3 count doesn't produce fish, try a 5 count or a 2 count. Vary the retrieve until you feel the first strike. Remember that a cone headed Bugger sinks much more quickly than the standard Bugger. 

In moving water like a stream or river, fish the bugger by casting across the current slightly upstream. Retrieve line slowly to keep the line tight as the fly swings past you and downstream. DON'T pick up the line as soon as your rod points straight downstream. Many trout are taken with the rod pointing straight downstream toward the fly. In fast running water, a slow retrieve can produce fish. Dad has caught fish on the Spring with a Woolly Bugger while wading back to shore with 10-15' of line and a 9' leader in the water. 

Dad Recommends

When fishing for trout, always try a Woolly Bugger with a Trout Crack dropper. Check out our Trout Crack listing for more information on fishing this as a dropper.