Baby Buggers

[SteveW]

Hello,

I am trying to tie up some baby buggers but can't get the hackle size correct. Can you give me some idea what you use for hackle on a size 14 bugger. The wooly bugger packs of hackle I get are too big. I thought about using a dubbing loop, and dubbing the body, then teasing out the fibers to produce the motion that the hackle produces. I have also thought about tying in a collar of partridge. much like a soft hackle fly. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

steve

[Jayatwork]

Angora or African goat maybe blended with a little SLF works well. Tie it very sparsley in a dubbing loop and you've basically got a Hale-Bopp leach. You can also add the partridge collar. If you want a hackle you might look for a lower grade rooster saddle.

[mr. blur]

you might try a simi seal leech.

[Gigante]

I've been using Orvis' badger necks for my smaller hackles and it works great. There are lots of small feathers in there. I got lucky and scored several of them off ebay for next to nothing rather than paying $30 a piece.

[Ray Kunz]

You might find that Whiting HEN neck hackles will please you. I like their somwwhat longer quills than Metz for the same barb length. This means I won't come up short when Palmer winding them on. Baby Buggers, a la Peter Frailey, are great.

[ducksterman]

Given the fact that Conranch capes and saddles are on sale now....would they be a consideration?

[EPuffer]

Steve,
All I can say is that an olive body and a yellow tail works good on Small mouth bass!!!!

I had to trim my hackle down to size.
I will have to try to tease out the dubbing like you say.
Good luck,
Puffer

[Joe Valencic]

I tie my small buggers using feathers from Bronze grade Whiting saddles. In a pinch I use anything I have, since most of my necks and saddles will last me a lifetime anyhow ( I'm a low volume tyer). I found that the fish don't really care what I use, so I also stopped being finicky.

Joe

[ducksterman]

I tie my small buggers using feathers from Bronze grade Whiting saddles. In a pinch I use anything I have, since most of my necks and saddles will last me a lifetime anyhow ( I'm a low volume tyer). I found that the fish don't really care what I use, so I also stopped being finicky.

Joe

Joe, the fish told me that if you used the "correct" hackle you would have caught more of them than even you knew

[MarkKillam]

I also like Whiting's Hen Cape. I have tied a lot of size 12 and 14 buggers with a grizzly cape and done very very well with them. You might want to try Olive Ice Dub as a body with a dubbing loop. Makes for a very good looking and productive fly. Although I havent tried any Conranch JV Hens or Hens, these might also work.