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Shlappen Woolley Bugger

3K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  ceviche 
#1 ·
I caught a 16" rainbow out of Martha Lake (Warm Beach) on this pattern:

size 8 hook
Gold Bead head
black size 6/0 thread
Black Marabou tail
gold fine tinsel
Black shlappen hackle
Olive chennille.

Basically, tie this one up like a regular woolley bugger, but tie in the shlappen first by the tip and palmer forward. After that, palmer in the tinsel between the hackle to enhance the action provided by the shlappen.

I fished this one in the shallows of Martha Lake around some submerged logs and scored a big fatty. At first I thought I snagged one of the logs, but, after two more knocks at the door, I knew I had a big visitor at the door. No jumps, but I felt like I was back at Dry Falls--except for the cold-assed water. This one gave up more of a struggle than those heat-exhausted desert trout, though.
 
#2 ·
Ceviche,
Have you tried palmering the fly by laying the feather flat against the chenille body? As the feather quill sinks into the chenille the barbules are deflected up on both sides of the quill in a "V" shape. I normally don't do this, but it does give a different effect. Thanks for sharing. :BIGSMILE
 
#3 ·
No, I've never tried to flat palmer the hackle. How have the final arbiters, the fish, have judged this style. With woolley buggers in general, I do like to wrap tinsel between the hackle to enhance the visual presence of the hackle's action. My belief is that the movement of the hackle is better seen when backed by the tinsel. I got this idea from an Italian website that I stumbled upon a year or so ago. The fish have responded well to this. Also, the use of shlappen I got from a post by Tyler Laurenti.
 
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