Northwest Reel Life September 2024 Volume 4 Issue 1 - Flipbook - Page 16
If not, let me expand on
why the Wooley Bugger is
often the first fly I will cast
out on a new body of water,
and some of the qualities
that make this fly, in my
opinion, so essential to be
in your tackle box.
First, a Wooley Bugger is a
wet fly which can be used
in lakes, rivers, ponds, and
even saltwater fishing.
Wooley Buggers come in a
variety of styles and colors
and can be considered to
imitate many different food
sources for fish, including
small minnows, leeches,
nymphs, and anything else
swimming around a lake
or river. As such, Wooley
Buggers are the ultimate
“searching” fly, perfect for
exploring new bodies of
water.
Wooley Buggers lend
themselves well to more
than traditional fly fishing.
They can be adapted for
many styles of angling and
fish species. Years ago,
Uncle Wes Malmberg took
me to a SW Washington
Lake, and long lining a
Wooley Bugger with a
Mack’s Smile Blade off
the back of his 14-foot
aluminum boat we spent a
relaxing morning catching
and releasing rainbow
after rainbow. A couple
of split shots were all that
was required to sink the
fly under the surface and
entice fish after fish to
grab on. Fished bait and
scent-less, we easily caught
and safely released several
dozen fish that day. Such a
simple but deadly effective
method! I immediately
went home and tied up
several new colors to add to
my collection.
For the beginner fly-tier,
the Wooley Bugger is likely
the first fly you ever will
learn to tie. The reason is
this fly is simple to make,
and is generally on a
