Fly Tying Inventory
Bow River Bugger
This is Jeff Creamer's variation of the Bow River Bugger, a pattern credited to Calgary guide Peter Chenier, finished here as a conehead streamer with a spun deer hair collar. The hair adds a little offsetting buoyancy to a fly weighted with a cone and lead wire. Two colors of marabou and copper Holographic Flashabou form the tail, and the body combines olive and brown schlappen with UV Polar Chenille. Orange silicone legs sit just behind the collar, which goes on with a separate GSP thread and is shaped with a razor blade. Tied here on a size 1/0 hook.
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Materials
Veevus GSP, white, 150 denier, for spinning the hair
White · 150 denier
How to Tie the Bow River Bugger
- 1
Step 1
Slide the cone onto the hook, push it up to the eye and set the hook in the vise.
- 2
Step 2
Wrap a section of .030 lead wire around the shank and push it into the back of the cone.
- 3
Step 3
Start the rusty brown thread behind the lead, secure the wraps and run the thread back to the bend.
- 4
Step 4
Tie in a bunch of tobacco brown marabou at the bend for the tail.
- 5
Step 5
Add a bunch of medium olive marabou with the brown and bind the butts along the shank.
- 6
Step 6
Tie in copper Holographic Flashabou at the base of the tail and trim any excess.
- 7
Step 7
At the same point, tie in the Sculpin Olive schlappen, the tobacco brown schlappen and the UV Polar Chenille. Bring the thread forward.
- 8
Step 8
Gather the schlappen and chenille in a dubbing spinner and twist them into one rope. Wrap the rope forward, stroking the fibers back with each turn. Tie off short of the cone to leave room for the legs and collar, then trim the excess.
- 9
Step 9
Tie in silicone flutter legs on each side of the fly in front of the body and trim the front ends.
- 10
Step 10
Whip finish and cut the brown thread, then start the white Veevus GSP in the open space behind the cone.
- 11
Step 11
Cut a bunch of deer hair from the strip, comb out the underfur and even the tips in a hair stacker.
- 12
Step 12
Set the bunch at the front of the shank with the tips pointing back. Tighten the thread so the hair flares and spins around the shank, forming the collar.
- 13
Step 13
Whip finish the GSP and take the fly out of the vise. Trim the deer hair to shape with a double-edge razor blade.
- 14
Step 14
Set a Fish Skull Living Eye in the pocket on each side of the cone.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrKD9cQlN0o
Credit: Jeff Creamer / Fly Fish Food