The original Woolly Bugger pattern is believed to have been created by Pennsylvania fly tyer Russell Blessing as early as 1967 though its true origin is unknown. It’s a variation of the woolly worm which itself draws its origins from the soldier palmer fly, written about by Izaac Walton in his book “Compleat Angler” from 1653. [1]
The woolly bugger is a soft hackle wet fly made up of a marabou tail, chenille or fur body, and a hackle palmered from tail to head. The main difference with the Woolly Worm is that fly’s lack of tail, or use of a yarn or hackle fibre for the tail. Traditional material colors for the woolly bugger are black and olive. However, variations of the fly include:
- various colours
- use of flash in the tail
- lead wire wrapped body
- bead heads or dumbbell eyes
The pattern is usually tied on a long shank streamer hook of sizes 2-12. Certain larger varieties are effective on Pacific Northwest rivers for steelhead.
Type: Soft hackle wet fly/Streamer
Originator: Russell Blessing (~1967)
[1] Soucie, Gary (2005). Woolly Wisdom. Portland, Oregon: Frank Amato Publications. ISBN 1-57188-352-5.