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Tan and Brown WB

19-Inch Brownie: Ate a tan and brown WB size 419-Inch Brownie: Ate a tan and brown WB size 4I think I figured it out.

The lowly woolly bugger gets no respect because of fly tying. It’s always the first fly that beginning fly tiers are encouraged to attempt, “Start with a woolly bugger, then move on to more sophisticated patterns.”
Let’s let the truth be told: If you can tie a decent woolly bugger, there is no need to “progress” to the other patterns. Woolly buggers catch fish. In smaller sizes, like 6-8-10, they tend to catch smaller fish. Tied in size 2 and 4, they turn the heads of bigger trout. It doesn’t always work out that way. But, the size 4 vs. 6 is a good arbitrary demarcation between the larger buggers and their smaller brethren, and the corresponding trout that give them the eye.

If you’re a veteran who’s long ago by-passed the bugger, I encourage you to go back and give it another look. If you are a beginner, tie the bugger first, as people will tell you. Then, GO FISHING!

Here’s my favorite tie:

Hook: Size 4, 4x long
Thread: Brown 3/0
Weight: 12 to 15 wraps of .025 lead wire
Head: Cooper bead head size 3/16 (optional)
Body: Tan chenille
Hackle: Furnace saddle hackle, palmered
Tail: Brown marabou
Flash: Copper flashabou

TBWB1TBWB1Step One: Apply 12 to 15 wraps of lead wire behind the bead head.

TBWB2TBWB2Step Two: Tie in brown marabou tail, with two strands (doubled) of copper flashabou.
The tail should be NO MORE than the length of the hook shank. A little less is better.

TBWB3TBWB3Step Three: Tie in furnace saddle hackle (by the tip) and tan chenille. Wind the chenille forward and tie off behind the bead head.

TBWB4TBWB4Step Four: Palmer the saddle hackle forward, and tie off behind the bead head. Done.