Re: [VFB] wooly bugger preference

[DMurphy832]

My observations might get Hans in a tither but color has been a major consideration for steelhead as noticed on Elk Creek (PA) last November.  One of our threesome was getting strike after strike on a tree-green woolybugger.  I tried black then olive then chartruese with plenty of fish to refuse it.  Buddy #2 was trying his green buggers in different sizes to no avail.  All of us were fishing the same big pool over 100-150 fish in low water.

We asked buddy #1 to try his fly and all of us were in for an hour or so of unbelieveable fishing.  We had doubles and triples (2 or more of us hooked up at the same time) while other anglers rarely got a strike.  It was like a hatch and ended abruptly.  Everyone gathered around my friend to observe the pattern afterwards and that night you can guess what we all tied.

As for your hackle question.  I follow my buddy's advice and buy cheap dyed saddles from Cabelas or packs from LinesEnd.  The LinesEnd product came picked and packed but I'm sure Byard can explain all the options they have.  I like to palmer soft hackle evenly spaced.  Your experiments with hen collars and bushy wraps might be the ticket for certain situations.  I suppose it all depends on the water conditions, whether the fish see it as a hellgrammite/crayf sh/baitfish/leech, how you fish it, ect.

All the strikes on woolbuggers that I've seen the take on have the fish aggresively chasing it on the retrieve.  Sometimes I cast it behind and fish it on an angle coming away but into the peripheral vision of the fish and the first cast is almost always a chase, sometimes a strike.

still tyin...
Murf