The Horney Bugger Fly

While it is still a bit early for good fishing weather it is a great time for tying flies. I started my fly tying season over the weekend by tying up a few flies of my own design. A few years ago, when I was even more of a novice tyer then I am now, I was tying a woolly bugger and I screwed it up. I forgot to tie on the feather to be palmered (sticking out from the side of the hook shank). The fly was going to be too sparse so I thought what can I now add. The tying thread was up at the head of the hook so i was almost done. I found in my LL Bean tying kit the type of feathers used in hornberg flies. I added these and invented the

horny bugger

fly. This has caught some nice trout for me including a couple of fat rainbows from the Mascoma River in NH. The new generation of horney buggers now has a beadhead and is ribbed with gold tinsel. I can't wait to try it out!