sow bugs

[mutzinbaugh]

who has the best sow bug pattern?

can you post a picture of it?

recipe?

advice on how to fish them

thanks in advance

 

[boychick]

Walts worm. Easy to tie and very effective. Dead drift it.Walts Worm

 

[sandfly]

Honey bug in cress bug grey;

 

[alatt]

There are many sow bug recipes on the internet, and most work well.One I have used with success, and is easy to tie is the "Ray Charles". Go to Charlie's FlyBox, and you will find a step by step tutorial.

 

[JeffK]

I'll second the Honey Bug in gray.

There are lots of cress bug patterns that are essentially a dubbing loop in appropriate materials tied in a blob, brushed out and clipped to shape. I think the original is Ed Shenk's Cress Bug. Another oldie is the Rug Bug. Simpler is better IMHO.

Fishing them is mostly dead drifting around vegetation since that is where the cress bugs are. The trick is getting a them to sink quickly in the channels in the weeds and getting some sort of drift before you hang up. Accurate casts with high sticking and a dry dropper are two options, but the best fish are in the gnarliest channels where it is never easy. Can snag a few flies in a day - that's another reason why simpler is better.

 

[mutzinbaugh]

great info, thanks guys.

is the honey bug just grey dubbing?

 

[Volksnurse]

mutzinbaugh wrote:
great info, thanks guys.

is the honey bug just grey dubbing?

Chenille gives it a more segmented look..

 

[JeffK]

Honey Bug is a special cotton chenille. Used to get it at E. Hille in Williamsport or the Little Lehigh Fly shop. Not so sure where you get it now after a quick search.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

The largest source of honeybug chenille can be found here:

http://www.bigmeadowsflyshop.com/

The owner is like 90 years old, but he's cool (sandfly). :lol:

 

[Shock]

I like Shenk's Sow Bug which is just spun muscrat fur clipped flat on the top and bottom.

I also just tied up some using the Gray Sow Bug Dubbing which is artificial and they look very nice with a little sparkle to them. I am thinking that they will be nice when the water is a little stained.

We'll see.

I fish them dead drift bouncing on the bottom. I usually use a size 16 curved shrimp hook to tie them on.

It is a very versatile fly which is just a little variation of the muscrat nymph. It is a quick tie and has caught a lot of fish for me.

Shock

 

[OldLefty]

Another example. This is not tied using a dubbing loop. Very easy tie.

 

[blueheron]

Alright I'll bite, what's the body there old lefty. if it's not a loop

 

[lv2nymph]

Yea give...

 

[jerseygeorge]

Yeah Lefty- Nice tie.

Also, I love this description of the "Ray Charles"

Pattern Description
Yup, it's called the Ray Charles because even a blind man can catch fish with it. This pattern also comes from the Bighorn River (also see the Soft Hackle Sowbug) and is another simple pattern that knocks the crap out of those poor Montana trout. Imitating a Sowbug, the Ray Charles can be tied in a variety of colors. Pink, tan, grey and white are all good colors for the ostrich herl, while the pearl flashback and red thread remain a constant. Twist 'em up, drive north, tie 'em on, reel 'em in. Do I have to explain everything??

 

[gaeronf]

OldLefty wrote:
Another example. This is not tied using a dubbing loop. Very easy tie.

Yes, please tell!

I think I remember you tying this. You just dubbed more than 1 layer of dubbing, making sure your thread wraps were tight as well as your ribbing so the dubbing could easily be picked out.

I remember you stressing to us that looking at your flies underwater is crucial because a lot of people get the cressbug color (and other flies) wrong.

 

[OldLefty]

Master gaeronf, you're right on!

 

[lv2nymph]

Ding ding ding... Give that man a cigar, Well on second thought for G a 25 pack of hooks.

 

[beadhead2]

here is a video tying sow bug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkJfcAfCyww

 

[gaeronf]

If I'm not mistaken sow bugs are different from scuds. I always thought of it as there are cressbugs and there are scuds. And that sowbugs were just another name for cressbugs.

 

[Foxgap239]

gaeronf wrote:
If I'm not mistaken sow bugs are different from scuds. I always thought of it as there are cressbugs and there are scuds. And that sowbugs were just another name for cressbugs.

You are 100% correct.