Traditional Palmered Hackle for Woolly Bugger
Below is another version, called the Mini Bugger, that has the hackle wound in the traditional wet fly wing style. The remainder of the fly is typical Woolly Bugger. Note the multi colors of marabou in the tail.
Version of Woolly Bugger: The Mini-Bugger
I like the looks of this wing/legs effect from spinning dyed, deer hair. I have shown this before, but each time I try this and take a pic, I am pleased with the results. I will be exploring with these soon. The abdomen could be a little tighter. I dubbed it and teased out the trailing strands of dubbing. Perhaps, perhaps not….shall see.
Springtime beckons the trout fly fisher. A little sunshine and warmer temps and there you are at the river’s edge with all your gear and every pattern you tied all Winter or purchased, begged or stole (ok borrowed). Depending upon snow pack, temperatures, weather systems, or dam output etc., the river may sharply rise during this time year. Aside from your observations, if you live close to the river, you should take advantage of any reporting systems that provide river flow data (height or cubic feet per second). Anyone launching a drift boat does this. But, the bank bound fly fisher may not do this and should.
Make note during your outings of how the river was for wading, fishable water, hatches etc. in the areas you fished. When you get home note the river height/flow (CFS) provided by the resource and make note of it and keep it.
Keep track during these times of the spots you visited and if you could not safely wade or find much inside water (seams, edges close to shore) to fish. What was the height? Try to make it back as Spring progresses into Summer. Note how the river fishes as the river drops 6 inches, 1 foot, 2 feet. Once the Summer time lows come the levels will stabilize. You will then be looking for deeper, cooler, oxygenated waters for trout and steelhead. In the Fall, you will reverse the process of watching what happens to the river as Fall storms move in.
Keep track of the river levels in a journal or some file. It will save you hour to two hour drives to rivers that are blown out and perhaps steer you toward other rivers that are not rising with snow melt, higher temps or have dams controlling the water levels.
Query river flow, gages, etc. for the area near you and you should find available updated data that kayakers, guides, etc. use. You can use it too.
Note a comment made mention that the graph above was not legible given the size. I apologize for that. It was merely a symbolic gesture of a river rising. In the comment section, I provide the link re the above graph and it can be opened via the link I provided in the comment response and then clicked upon again to better enhance…sorry about that.
This is a variation of a Brian Chan pattern. A defining tying concept here is to the swept back wing beneath the and to the side of the pupa’s body rather than on top as most patterns do. I used an atypical combination of natural peacock and dyed orange peacock herl to wrap the abdomen section. The top wing is hen hackle. The underwing is peacock Ice Dub tied under beard style and brushed back with an old toothbrush. The head is two turns of naturally awesome peacock herl.
"Skimmer" Libellulinae (Libellulidae) Dragon Nymph
I won’t overload you with Bug terminology. I would only be borrowing from more accomplished researchers. You can find plenty of excellent work by Rick Hafele, Arlen Thomason, Troutnut.com……. You do the research on the several varieties and shapes of dragon fly nymphs in the (Anisoptera > Aeshnidae (darners) > Libellulidae (sprawlers)) world.
Many fly fishing dragon patterns will be longer, size 6-8 patters (more the darner variety). But there is a place for the smaller size 10-12, shorter and rounder patterns that slowly move about the bottom in the vegetation and muck and only rarely jet forward. A slow and low presentation is appropriate for stillwaters and quite backwaters of streams (some varieties of Dragons do inhabit slow moving stretches of rivers).
The above pattern was tied on a size 10, 2xl nymph hook. I dubbed and spun marabou fibers stripped from the stem. Once the density is developed for each color then the marabou is trimmed to shape the bulbous rear, tapering toward the front. At the front of the abdomen, I dubbed in some deer hair and then wound the hen hackle. The head is comprised of red dumbbell eyes (melted red Amnesia mono for eyes) the wingcase is a small piece of fuzzy foam tied in at the front the eyes. The head is dubbed to form a nice round head. Then the fuzzy foam wing case is pulled over the top of the head and tied off to form a slight gap between head/thorax and the abdomen.
The presentation of the dragon fly nymph along the edges and drops of a lake should be more thoughtful than kicking along in a tube trolling a Woolly Bugger or Dragon nymph imitation. This is the primary reason you should study how insects move in their world. Study the predatory ways and movements of insects and then attempt to visualize this and match this with retrieves and assorted fly line densities. Most often dragons will crawl up vegetation, rocks and debris to emerge above the water. Some are poor climbers (squatty little gomphids) and crawl into shore.
This isn’t like trying to match the Stonefly hatches where you fish nymphs and then post emergence, fish dries. Dragon fly dries are seldom used. You want to focus on where dragon fly nymphs reside and then go there and present hunting nymphs and nymphs working toward structure to emerge.
McKenzie River (Oregon)
This is an interesting study on the McKenzie River drainage, a significant tributary of the Willamette River. The report is informative re data collected, comparisons made and how it could be applied to other rivers by the Department of Interior. The Nature Conservancy was also involved in the study.
Key Elements
• This report presents the results of a study that is part of the Nature Conservancy Sustainable Rivers Project begun in 2002 in partnership with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• The study objective was the creation of an environmental flow framework for the McKenzie River basin, Oregon, necessary to sustain aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
• The goal of this report is to provide a hydrologic, geomorphic, and ecological baseline assessment for basin stakeholders.
Maryam Peigahi of Damsel Flies Fishing Club
“Many of life’s passages leave women akin to a light house on the Oregon coast: weathered, worn, stronger, still standing. The trials of death, divorce, children, health, elder parents, career….the list of life goes on….it tests our resolve, sometimes day after day. So, the other evening I made my way to a club outing (practicing our casting at an area park) for the Damsel Flies, I was self absorbed with my life’s concerns. I arrived and saw the familiar faces and some new faces. I was pleased to see newer faces because it means the club is vital and growing. It has been a positive experience in my life.
But, as I stood there something else occurred to me. I am not alone, as a woman, with the travails of life. As I gazed out at the familiar faces I knew that many, all?, of these women have withstood enormous hardships, heart breaks and the joys of life. Yet, here they stood before me as positive, supportive mentors and ready friends. No need to pour out anyone’s latest woes. Rather, there is quiet strength and warmth from these stalwart women. I was comforted and renewed.
A club provides outings, how to information, the basics for fly fishing or tying. But, this women’s club provides something deeper and more meaningful: quiet reassurance and hope for moving through life and surviving the unique passages of women. I am happy to be part of the Damsel Flies Fly Fishing club. Locate a club near you and join. The advantages are deeper than you might at first expect.” Maryam Peigahi
I believe the advantages of clubs are there for men, women and children depending upon the makeup of the club. It is important to note though what Ms. Peigahi pointed to above….sometimes just being around others that have experienced similar hardships is reassuring and supportive. Some of these lessons may not be realized at the time. I can think of several gentlemen, who have passed on, whom I fished with years ago. In my intense, make the most of every moment fishing, I did notice they were not all that concerned with fishing. They were just out there. Their loss I thought at the time. No, my loss. I should have spent a little more time visiting and listening. They were winding down in life. We may not have even talked about anything too deep. Rather I would just have noted their tempo, their expressions, their joy at just being alive and out there. Slow down, look and take it in like Ms. Peigahi did. Blessings abound where you least expect them.
Damsel Flies Fly Fishing Group
h/t to John Newbury from FB re this knot tying technique: The Hemostat Knot. This might be particularly helpful when the finger tips are frozen, or for general use.
For the beginning fly tier, you would be well served to practice your tying techniques while tying a limited scope of patterns. The temptation is to tie every pattern in that book and more that come to mind. Tie this and tie that. If you were limited to just tying as a past time with no opportunity to fish your creations, then tie hither and yon, but otherwise I would stay toward basic nymphs, dries, emergers, streamers and flymphs/wets (or, the basic patterns for the species you chase….it could be a variety of streamers only for a predatory species). This way there is a practical benefit to your targeted tying.
Flymphs: this style of ‘wet’ fly is worth a study on your part and worth a lot of tying. Selection of hackle and style of body are the two key considerations. Sparse patterns for almost dry fly presentations have/had their place. But, buggier dubbing and softer hackling offer a great deal of animation and life. A flymph can fish from the bottom up to the top with the correct presentations: Leisenring Lift.
A couple presentation considerations: study spey (two hander) casts and research their applicability to a single hander. Jean Paul from Roughfisher mentioned this the other day and it true. Line handling with bigger flies or more staged presentations can be easier by moving line, dumping it and then rolling it out into a zone. Research this. Also, for the stream fishing angler chasing primarily trout there is a tendency toward only using a floating line and rarely a sink tip. I use five lines for stillwater but severely limit myself on rivers when chasing trout. (I carry multiple spey line heads). But, a readers comment about using sinking lines and manipulating the fly up through pools and rapids reminded me of watching an old timer fish streamers with a clear, intermediate line to fish streamers on a river (something I would normally only use on a lake).
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/strawberry_rhubarb_cobbler/
SwittersB Tattoo
Designs, visions, suggestions, artist input…..a tattoo design can be created, but can go hither and yon while you practice mind control over a few hours. I designed the top tattoo as a combination of the family motto “Semper Paratus”, the Celtic theme and the triquetra symbol. I wanted it finished off with the hands presenting the fish to nature. It was just fine until I noticed the hands were not, well not quite right. Did I speak up? Nope. I rationalized the hands and made a mental adjustment. In time it was fine; but, I deferred to what is a permanent work on my arm and not quite what I wanted. Ok, it was done and I was cool with it. If anyone noticed, they said nothing.
Now, a thought evolved from a nymph/female image I had seen years ago on the back of a stillwater fly fishing book….a buggy looking nymph/female. I had a photocopy of the image for years. I still have it somewhere, I just don’t know where.
So, I asked my son, Tony, to devise a newer image. My vision: a female/nymph blend rising from below the first tattoo to reach up and receive the fish from the hands above. Tony drew his image and I liked it a lot. Originally, it was a buxom rendition. Off to Atlas Tattoo (Portland, Oregon) for an appointment with Corey Crowley. I turned over the renditions by Tony and an appointment was made.
I arrived to have the tattoo. The Crowley rendition was similar in theme, but again the artist’s input had altered my vision. But, I liked it. We went for it. I suggested, for peace keeping purposes, that perhaps some hair should descend down over the breasts. The hands rose to receive the fish from the hands above. The middle nymphette’s hands/arms were presented in a prayerful-respectful pose. The abdomen was perfectly segmented and the three tails reached to the hand. Blades of grass/vegetation reach out from the side. I suggested a shading of grey-green to delineate the nymphette from the grass. Crowley suggested shading and leaving it uncolored/shaded. I deferred.
In the end, I will digest the tattoo, as is, and not rush to green up the vegetation, just yet. I may have the top tat touched up and a hint of blush added to the fish. Still deciding. A very good experience and as always Atlas Tattoo, in Portland, is a very awesome experience regardless of the artist….all exceptional.
SwittersB Tattoo (Vegetation Greened Up)
Sorry for glare of flash, but wanted to show the results of greening up the vegetation to differentiate it from the nymph. I am pleased. Brian Graham, Black Lotus, Eugene, Oregon
