Soft Hackle Wooly Bugger

If I'm being honest, I'm not a very big fan of Rich Osthoff"s books.  They are mediocre; however, his soft hackle wooly bugger is awesome.  Now, I realize that this fly is nothing new, but it does use hen for the hackle rather than rooster, and the two step process Rich uses to dub and hackle his fly lends itself nicely to creating your own favorite variation.

Hook: 2xl or 3xl nymph (I use 2xl a lot)
Thread: 6/0 you choose the color
Tail: Marabou
Body: Dubbing of your choice
Hackle: Hen neck or hen saddle

My flies are tied using only hen saddle; however, Rich ties his using both hen neck and hen saddle.  He covers the rear 2/3rd of the shank with hen neck, which is a longer feather, and the front 1/3rd with hen saddle.  Hen saddle feathers are short and very webby.  I use the saddle because it is cheaper and more webby/dense.  Regardless of how you choose to tie it, this fly catches anything that swims.

Dave Whitlock's Red Fox Squirrel Nymph

 

So I decided to tie up some of my favorite nymph this afternoon.  This fly has it all!  It looks good, it is simple to tie, and it catches fish.  Along with the pheasant tail and the hares ear this should be a top 3 fly in anyone's box.                                              

This fly will catch any freshwater species and can be tied in a multitude of sizes.

The materials for this fish catcher came from the red fox squirrel that I harvested last fall.
Hook: 2xl nymph hook

Thread: 6/0 Uni Orange

Tail: Fox Squirrel Back Guard Hairs

Abdomen: Fox Squirrel Belly Fur Mixed w/ Fox Squirrel Belly Fur Colored Antron 

Ribbing: Copper Krystal Flash
Thorax:  Fox Squirrel Back Fur
Hackle: Partridge

The Boots Have Served Me Well

Well the boots finally bought the farm after a 3 year career.  I'll miss those suckers.  On their last trip to the river they served me well, but now I'm on the hunt for a new pair.  Aaron Jasper from TroutPredator.com tells me that he has a pair of high end Patagonia boots that look like their fresh out of the box even after some trips through some rough water.  I was thinking possibly Simms.  So, we'll see.

This little bass was storing up some fat for the winter!

This brute, 16", came out of a deep hole I had never caught any fish out of.



The Casual Sparrow

This fly has carp nymph written all over it, but with its size and ability to simulate a sculpin I'm sure browns and bass would take it as a baitfish.  Oh!  What is that stuck in the corner of my mouth?  It's soft and chewy with a little bit of bite.

A Turtle and Some Flowers

Aftershaft Soft Hackle

I have to admit that I have never fished this fly.  But damn it sure does look sexy...doesn't it!  This beast has some hot spottage going on along with built in movement provided by a chuckar partridge aftershaft feather.  Any decent sized aftershaft feather would work.

Instructions:  Cast into likely looking spot and hold on.

Wild Trout Day 2

Day 2 of fishing for Central, PA wild browns wasn't quite as productive as day one.  On a stream twice as large as the creek in my previous post, I only managed one 10" brown.  And, despite my best efforts, he came unbuttoned while I fumbled around with my camera.  I probably worked harder for that trout than any other I've ever caught.  Here is a picture of the spot I pulled him from.

I was sitting on my butt in the sub 70 degree water, in order to keep a low profile, as I tossed my bead head hare and copper up into the white stuff.  The fish hit just as the fly entered the smoother portion of the riffle and put up a fight more than worthy of his diminutive stature.

As you can tell from the pictures, the fishing was tough due to low clear water, and the trees made casting any distance almost impossible.  I have my best days on this small stream when the water is up and the wild browns eagerly snatch up small minnow imitations.

Not Far From the Beaten Bath

Most people think of the Little J, Spring Creek, or Penns when they hear Central, PA.  There are however numerous other little gems that the locals hold close to their chest, and today, I had the opportunity to fish one of them for the first time.  No, I will not give the location, as the stream I fished holds both native brook trout and wild browns, but I will provide a peek at some of the fish it served up.