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Peacock Wooly Bugger

The history of the Wooly Bugger is rich but relatively short. Countless variations have been created since the original came off the vise of Russell Blessing in Harrisburg, PA. The date was somewhere in the early 1970s. Russell loved fly fishing for smallmouth bass and created the Wooly Bugger to imitate a Dobsonfly larva or Hellgrammite. It is a fabulous fly for that larva but it turns out the Wooly Bugger imitates a vast number of critters that swim and crawl in both fresh and salt water.

The typical Bugger is tied with a marabou tail, a body of rayon floss, and a soft saddle hackle. The marabou tail imparts great action and the hackle may add a little more. I am not satisfied with that. I want movement on both ends of the fly and want it to generate a little noise.

I can get both action in the front of the fly and add some noise by using a feather from a saddle with more dry fly traits than your typical saddle. I use the Metz #2 Micro-barb Saddle, dyed black. This is usually a grizzly saddle dyed black. I like it better than the natural black. The short stiff hackle barbules add the noise and the webby base provides the motion in the front of the fly.

The addition of the Peacock body instead of the chenille imparts a lovely, natural iridescence to the fly. There are not too many fish that I have caught on other streamers that I have not also taken with this peacock bugger.

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