Woolly Bugger or Worm

[piscatus absentis]

Some things are so obvious that you walk past them.  The Mini Dancer is, I now realise, a Woolly Worm/Bugger variant.  At Hillend recently stocked fish were taking Dancers tied on 6s and 8s but after a few weeks they were ignored.  I wanted something that took fish regularly so tried to tie dancers on  10s and 12s and finished up with the one I posted.

In fact the Woolly Bugger is my number 1 fly everywhere on lochs, burns and rivers.  The most successful tying is -

Body      Peacock Herl.

Rib      Fine Silver.

Tail      Black Marabou.

Hackle      Black Cock Palmered.

Under Tail.   2 Strands of Mylar.

For the Tay use an 8 or long shank 10 heavily weighted.   For the Tweed or Clyde the same size but not so heavily weighted.  For wee burns (the Avon? Col) use a standard 10 or 12.  On lochs use an intermediate or sink tip line and fish it fairly slowly.  On rivers fish across and down.

For some reason  the fish on the Clyde and Tweed like the greenish herl from a peacock sword but everywhere else I use bronze herl from a packet.  I also find the Mylar is important since it seems to have a greenish hue when wet.

I promise you it?s murderous.   If I was restricted to one fly this would be it.

[scotfly]

I say chaps, that's really not cricket! Those are not flies at all - they're...well something else.  I have a nasty suspicion they probably sink and I imagine you don't always fish them facing the correct way round, to rising fish either.  Appalling.  Admin - ban them immediately.

OMG! Halford is alive and well!  :shock:

[Clan Chief]

Just to let you know PA I caught three trout tonight on the dressing you provided. I got them in the school burn area.
That's the second time you have suggested a pattern to use at Hillend and twice it's came up trumps for me.