There is a great warmwater pattern as the FAOL Fly of the Week this week called Sam’s One Bug. Warren does a great job with the instructions.
One word of caution ("don’t ask me how I know!) when it comes to using needles to pass legs through materials–if possible start the first leg through and leave the needle within the body of the foam, then take a second needle with the leg loaded and pass in the opposite direction through the foam. When the needles have both been passed then pull the legs through.
If you do them one at a time you run the risk of cutting the first leg in two with the second passing of only one needle.
A twelve pack of darning needles at the craft store is only a couple of bucks for the greater part of a lifetime of use. Legs are getting expensive to buy!!
I have to agree with this one. I just finished tying some up I tried it with one needle, It is much better with two needles. Great fly by the way. I can’t wait to try them out. Thanks for the tip, John
The instructions for his bass popper (L-EYE-BEE) are in the same article in the Flyfishing & Tying Journal, 2002 Summer edition. I have never given any thought to doing it for a FOTW, but, now that you have mentioned it, I just may. Until then, if you can get a copy of the article, you will have great instructions.
Hello Warren… Just wanted to say thank you for introducing the board to my Dad’s creation. Yes I am the son of “Sam” lol. My name is Wade. Miss my dad terribly and think of him daily. Gives me great pleasure to see how his creations continue to live on. The One Bug has truly been a staple in our many years of fishing together. Thanks to all of you who continue to pass on this fly and tying recipe. You know who you are! His creation developed in the early 80’s from a result of having smallmouth and bream destroy a balsa popper as well as the occasional false cast against the bluffs and rocks. Fred Stevenson of Huntsville had a material at the time that was actually the core from rod handles made of foam.
Another famous supplier took the discarded cores and began to market the material as “live body”. And thus the foam sticks now in production. The foam comes in a nice variety of colors as well as many sizes and I think dad had enough to supply an army. For those of you who knew my Dad he was more than willing to share his creations with anyone as long as they fished with it. That single fly has produced some amazing stories as well as numerous species of fish. I have one in a frame that I know produced over 400 fish on 2 days. The feathers are all but gone. legs were replaced once and the foam looks like velcro from teeth marks. Simply a great fly.
Thank you Warren for the Tribute. I know “Sam” would be proud. I am considering taking up the lead and going to the conclaves in Tribute of Dad to tie the bugs he created as well as some of my own hairbug creations.
As for inserting the legs here is a simple solution/suggestion. Use a small piece on mono or a dental floss loop. I personally use a Wapsi Bobbin threader and pull the legs through the foam very carefully. I find the large needles can cause the rubber legs to slip out of the bug as the Bream suck on the legs as my dad would have said. So I use a very thin needle inserted in an old exacto pen to hold the needle. It gives me the leverage I need to push the needle all the way through the fly without poking a finger. Once the hole is there I use the wire threader to go back through the hole open the threader and insert leg on the back side then pull gently through until you can adjust the legs by hand. I prefer the round legs. Don;t know why probably cosmetic more than anything but I have recently started painting stripes at the very end of the legs 2 on each leg. It looks so much like a dragon fly wing it’s not even funny. I also use a thin coat of fingernail polish on the front and under body of the fly to strengthen the face and belly of the fly. Recently have added two tone spots and eyes to the fly in Kudos to Walt Holman. Really gives it an awesome appearance. Krystal flash with the slightest amount of marabou for the tail seems to work best for durability as well. The deer hair makes the bug float “as#” end up…so don’t really like the deer hair. Over time you find the perfect placement for the legs. I don’t recommend gluing the legs at the foam unless you use Dave’s flexament. Most glues over time will cause the area to harden and make the legs brittle and break off or cause them to curl funny. The round legs don’t seem to slip out as often and you can get it in a variety of diameters.
On Larger flies like 1/2" foam I really like to double the legs up on each side and use a stout diachii or mustad hook. I have found the nymph hooks in 2x strength and length provide the best wear and tear. And even experimented with the straight eye hook for ease of tying on the leader. But the down eye seems to perform better.
One thing to keep in mind is tie up a dozen or more at a time. It is so much easier to do the tail and thread wraps as one step, slicing foam as another step, gluing and drying as additional step, then inserting legs and painting the bodies as a last stage. Dad had it down to a science and could whip out a dozen bugs in a matter of an hour or so. His arthritis and carpetunnel made it more difficult for him over the years. But he never quit tying them. They have literally made their way around the world.
Well…that’s probably way too much info and more than you wanted. Again thanks for the Fly of the Week being Dad’s bug! And be sure to pass it on to the youth. Keep our sport thriving!
P.S. don’t buy the packaged legs. Go to Cabela’s, Bass Pro, Feather Craft or Wapsi and ask for bulk rolls of spinnerbait or jig tying material. Much cheaper and you end up with a roll about 10 feet long and 10 to 20 strands thick.
Waders
Although not addressed to me, thanks for the additional info on your Dad’s 'bugs" and your tips!
I’m really interested in the history of any pattern and suspect I’m not alone.
Most of all…it’s always special to feel that father/son connection your post gave me.
