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My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. With its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a Leach imitation there is also an English version with bead chin eyes called a Dog Nobler. Whatever the name it's a very good fly.

The MK 2 woolly buggers evolved from standard black and olive woolly buggers as a fly that would imitate an American frog that had bright red between its hind legs and consequently the red tag is traditionally tied in below the tail. In Australia this tie is a little more popular than the original tie these days and its main point of difference is that the tag tied in on top.

In southern climes the hot spot is tied in any of the 'roe' colours and is widely accepted as one of the best early season search pattens for trout and a great trigger fly for bass in some fisheries.

• My favourite woolly buggers

Materials

Process

A	Starting at the 95% position wind the thread, in touching turns, half way down the hook shank. Understanding hooks I like a little lead wire in my woolly buggers so tie in a length of lead wire on top of the hook shank between the 50% and 80% position. For a size #8 fly take 5 turns of 0.015 mm lead wire and for a size 10# take 5 turns of 0.010 mm lead wire. Adding weight to a fly

B	Take 7 turns of the lead wire along the front half of the hook shank. Worry off the excess wire. Adding weight to a fly Continue winding the thread in touching turns to the bend of the hook.

C	Tie in a marabou tail 1 to 2 times the length of the hook.I like my tails fairly long. Woolly bugger tails You have a couple of choices with woolly bugger tails but from my perspective the two main decisions are the length of the tail and how full you would like it. The tail in this photo is probably dense enough for most people but I must say that I like my woolly bugger tails, particularly if they are on the longer side to be fairly full.

D	If your like me and like heavier tails in longer flies add extra material in small amounts until you are happy with it.

E	Tie in, at the bend of the hook and on top of the hook shank, a marabou or rabbit fur tag about 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the hook shank. Tag tails Tie in a length of fine wire at the bend of the hook.

F	Build a cigar shaped body right up to the 95% position.

G	Wind the wire forward to the 95% position making 4 or 5 body segments on the fly. Body segments on flies Worry off the excess wire. Using a piece of Velcro rough fuzzel out some of the deer hair fibres.

H	Tie a "Woolly Bugger" hackle between the body and the eye of the hook. For olive and brown flies my preference is a olive or brown partridge hackle and for a black fly a crow hackle. Woolly bugger hackles

I	Take one or two wraps of the hackle between the 95% position and the eye of the hook.The number of wraps is determined by the thickness of the hackle fibers. Take a few wraps of the thread through the hackle to behind the eye of the hook to lock the hackle into place.

J	Stroke the hackle tips back along the fly and then finish securing the hackle in that position with additional wraps of thread. Build up a neat thread head. Whip finish and varnish the head of the fly.

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