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.