The Yuk Bug is a new fly tier's best friend! I say
this tongue in cheek because I've found the uglier
you make it the better it fishes. It's just a
modified Woolly Bugger so whipping out a bunch
n a short time is a snap. Like any woolly bugger,
you can mix and match colors to meet local fishing
demands. This fly was tied on a size #10.
Materials List: Yuk Bug
Hook: 2-8 TMC 5263.
Weight: .25 weight wrap.
Thread: Black 3/0.
Tail: Gray squirrel.
Body: Black chenille, medium.
Rib Hackle: Grizzly.
Legs: White rubber legs, medium.
Tying the Yuk Bug
1. Start by wrapping on the weight. I start
nearly at the back of the shank (leaving just
enough room to tie in the tail) and wrap forward,
leaving just enough room to tie off the body and
make a head. Once the weight is attached, start
your thread; wrap back to cover the weight, giving
the chenille a solid base and finish at the back
of the shank.
2. Tie in the tail. Select squirrel hair so you
have at least two colors, the white tips and gray
and/or red. The tail is a tad longer than
traditionally used on the corresponding hook size.
Tie in with a couple of wraps, trim so the hair
butts up against the weight and then finish off
tying in the tail. Make sure your wraps are tight!
3. Strip a little of the chenille of its base thread
(to reduce bulk at tie in point) and tie in the chenille
onto the wraps of the tail. You have the options of
black, olive or brown chenille. Black & olive produce
well in the Eastern Sierra, never had a taker on brown.
Select the appropriate length hackle, strip off a little
and tie onto the shank where the chenille is tied in.
The hackle can be grizzly, olive grizzly or ginger.
Tying a couple variations sure can't hurt!
4. This is where the Yuk Bug takes on its personality.
As you can see from the illustrations, I tie in the
rubber legs in a number of different ways. This is
so the legs go in all directions. Some tie in just
three sections, making 6 legs with them going out
to the sides like traditional looking legs. The first
Yuk Bug I saw had eight legs/4 sections of rubber
going every which way. That's what I tied and what
I've caught fish on. It's this willy-nilly look of
the legs that I thought gave the fly its name. I
leave extra length at this point to the legs, which
I trim later.
5. With some care, wrap the chenille forward. Work
the chenille amongst the rubber legs so the legs point
perpendicular to the hook shank. You can pull the legs
around to some extent to change how they are laid out
on the fly. This is done to taste.
6. Wrap hackle forward with the same care as the
chenille. Work it amongst the rubber legs, tie off
and create head.
7. I then cut the rubber legs to various lengths,
making sure they're never longer than the corresponding
hackle height. The rubber legs are to add motion to the
fly so don't cut them too short. With that done, it's
ready to take to the water!
Photographic note:
Photos captured by Nikon D1H, 60f2.8AF Micro with
SB-29s flash on Lexar digital film. ~ Moose
About Moose:
Moose is a professional wildlife photographer, and
obviously a fine fly tyer, who lives in Mammoth Lakes,
CA. He has an extensive website to furnish wildlife
photographers with information to make the most of
their photographic pursuits. You will
find it at: www.moose395.net/