Overview
A hybrid of a Woolly Bugger and Hare's Ear, it uses natural possum or Hare's Ear dubbing for a buggy body, a soft hackle collar of brahma hen or partridge, and a tail of Australian possum or rabbit fur accented with pearl Flashabou. Weighted with a gold brass bead and lead wire, it's great as a searching pattern or larger nymph.
Related patterns
Behavior & presentation
- Natural Behavior
- Free-living caddis larvae tumble helplessly when dislodged from protective cases, their soft bodies exposed as they drift along the bottom in heavy current. Fish key on these vulnerable moments when larvae are separated from their shelters.
- Where Trout Eat It
- Fish intercept drifting larvae near the bottom in runs, pockets, and deep pools at depths of 3-8 feet.
- How to Fish It
- Fish deep using either an indicator or tight line nymphing technique to maintain bottom contact through feeding lanes.
- Best Water
- Focus on runs, pockets, channel swings, tail-outs, and drop-offs where current delivers drifting larvae.
- Strike Type
- Expect solid thumps or heavy pulls on the indicator as trout attack this buggy pattern near the bottom. The strike often feels deliberate and weighty—fish commit fully to the large, protein-rich profile.
Fishing strategy
- Rigging Suggestions
- Use a heavy leader and tippet to help get this fly down quickly. It can be fished as a single nymph or as part of a multi-fly rig.
- Seasonal Timing
- Effective during active feeding periods throughout the season. Fish morning and evening for best results.
- Pro Tips
- This fly sinks quickly due to its bead head and lead wire. The flash of the body and the movement of the hackle make it highly visible under water.
Entomology
Caddis larvae crawl along stream bottoms while enclosed in protective cases constructed from sand grains and plant debris, periodically extending their heads and legs to feed on algae and detritus. Trout break open these cases or consume free-living caddis larvae that have been dislodged from their shelters, targeting the soft-bodied protein-rich insects as they tumble helplessly in heavy current.
- Order
- Plecoptera
- Common name
- Stonefly
- Organism
- insect
- Life stage
- larva
Pattern details
- Stillwater
- Moving Water
- Rocky Mountain
- dead-drift
- indicator-nymph
- baetis-hatch
- caddis-hatch
- stonefly-hatch
- woolly-bugger-family
- attractor
- searching-pattern
- high-water
