Bass Bugs

[PatriotFly26]

I need a good bass bug pattern, and I thought I'd come to you guys. What are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Hugh

 

[sandfly]

popper, worm fly,

 

[gfen]

PatriotFly26 wrote:
I need a good bass bug pattern, and I thought I'd come to you guys. What are your thoughts?

I have alot of thoughts.

But, to answer your first question, first.
Gartside Gurgler.

Cheap. Easy. Effective.

 

[Fishidiot]

The main issue will be how you design the head. All are good and you'll get different opinions but personally, I don't recommend deer hair. Too much work; too much mess; not the best floatability. To be sure, deer hair flies are beautiful when finished and, if you enjoy spinning hair (I don't anymore), by all means try a few.

My recommendation would be to utilize pre-formed popper heads. These come in soft and hard versions. The soft ones can be colored with sharpie pens but the hard ones require enamel or spray paint. I've got lots of acrylic paint and use it for both head types and seal with a clear finish. The main drawback to pre-formed heads is cost and requirement to use epoxy or superglue. I do 'em in batches and still think they're easier than deer hair. I also recommend the "pencil" popper head design as I often find that smallies like an elongated popper and they don't seem to swallow long poppers as much as small, more rounded body types.

You can also experiment with sheet foam and design various "gurgler" type surface flies.

Keep the wings and fur part of the fly sparse. I rarely bother with rubber legs or hackle unlesss you really want to bulk it up.

The pics shows some poppers i tied recently with painted heads. These versions are for saltwater, use a shorter tail for bass poppers.

 

[David]

Whistlers & Steeler poppers!
EDIT: Hey, Hey, now FI!!!! Way to undercut me by a few seconds!!! I would argue that deer hair is better because it doesn't float as well! It sinks in and makes more of a disturbance when popped! The more water logged it gets, the more effective it is...I'd like to see you get your cork to do that! (Plus, did I mention, they are steeler colors!)

 

[sandfly]

A good deer hair popper is the best for ole bucket mouth, and works great for smallies in smaller sizes. gurglers work best when used in a current the way they were made for (kenny schram was the origanal designer of the gurgler) called a do nothing back then. gartside copied it for salt and made it famous with a new name.

 

[djmyers]

Sandfy, that worm looks great. Did you tie foam points on the end of that chenille? What size hook is that, how long overall is it and what size cone is it?

 

[sandfly]

Pm sent Dean

 

[renegade]

I absolutely love that worm fly! Sandfly I remember you posting that a while ago and forgot how much I loved the way it looks. I bet it works great!

 

[flyfishermanj]

Try the Warm Water Forum, you will find a lot of patterns there with little trouble.

Jh

 

[PatriotFly26]

Thanks everybody. Now you've got me questioning whether I want to continue with the Deer hair or try some pre-formed ones. I think I'll do both.

 

[afishinado]

Whoa David, nice flies! Looks like you do a LOT of bass buggin'

 

[whheff]

I've tied a few of these up. They are called Bass Candy.


http://www.flytyingforum.com/pattern4784.html

 

[boychick]

Chartreuse and white clouser minnow, fishy's baby crayfish, and any deer hair popper. I'll take 2 of each of these and hit the stream for smallies. Same flies will work for largmouth in ponds too, you might want weed gaurds on the flies for pond fishing. You can cover all parts of the water colum with these three flies. I've had good results with poppers that are colored like baby sunfish or white. Clouser's crayfish is a good flie too. The key to the crayfish is small claws. This selection is very productive for me.

http://www.madriveroutfitters.com/pc-3270-221-fishys-baby-crayfish.aspx

 

[Fredrick]

afishinado wrote:
Whoa David, nice flies! Looks like you do a LOT of bass buggin'

No he just has child labor.

BTW David I still haven't had a chance to fish that bug yet.

 

[David]

Fredrick wrote:

No he just has child labor.

Too funny...but true. Luckily for me, there is no law against it when they are your own kids and you don't pay them anything!

 

[Acristickid]

Not much of a bass guy but I have had much more success with subsurface flies in the trips I have taken.