The Global FlyFisher
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Videos by McFly Angler
A few months ago I tied up a fly called the Brahma Bugger, which I did not invent but loved fishing and tying the fly very much! The fly was originally tied by the tightlines youtube channel, and I re-named the fly "soft hackle bugger" because I did not use a brahma pelt, but instead used a soft hackle pelt from whiting. That video did really well, and that fly has been an amazing fish catcher for me. So I set out to improve on the fly, and make it better for a wider range of fish species.
I wanted to articulate the fly, and give it even more movement in the water. So I present you with the articulated brahma bugger, which catches more fish than I could imagine. In fact, it far out fished any other fly I had with me on my last trip. I could not keep the fish off of it. And it seemed to attract some really large trout as well! This articulated fly is really my favorite streamer now, and I don't think I will be fishing anywhere without at least a few in my box.
As always I am listing all the materials I used on this fly, along with a discount code to the Fly Artist, which is an online fly shop that I have been working with lately. When checking out at the fly artist, just type in the code "McFly10" at checkout and you will get your 10% off. On top of the best deals you can find online, you will also get great customer service from them, and free shipping for as little as $35 spent.
Discount Code!
McFly10
Hook I used: Firehole sticks #811 in size 6
Alternative hook: Gamakatsu B10S - https://www.flyartist.com/products/gamakatsu-b10s-stinger-hook
Shank I used: Small sized Fish Joint - http://www.flytyersdungeon.com/Materials/Chart_Miscellaneous.htm
Alternative Shank: OPST Intruder Shank - https://www.flyartist.com/products/opst-intruder-shanks
Thread: Veevus 6/0 in Olive - https://www.flyartist.com/products/veevus-6-0-thread
Feathers I used: Whiting Coq de Leon soft hackle with chickabou pelt died Chartreuse
Alternative feathers: Mets Mini Marabou - https://www.flyartist.com/products/hareline-mini-marabou-chickabou-feathers And soft hackle - https://www.flyartist.com/products/metz-soft-hackle-feathers
Wire: Small Intruder wire in black - https://www.flyartist.com/products/senyos-intruder-trailer-hook-wire
Cement: Brush on Zap a Gap - https://www.flyartist.com/collections/fly-tying-head-cements-glues-uv-resins/products/zap-a-gap-brush-on?variant=7742701895739
Head cement: Solarez "Bone Dry" UV resin - https://www.flyartist.com/collections/fly-tying-head-cements-glues-uv-resins/products/solarez-bone-dry-ultra-thin-uv-resin?variant=12978728697915
On this trip I met up with RXflyfishing from Instagram. He has a great instagram channel, and I was excited to fish the creeks and streams I see him fish all the time on his account.
The Jemez mountains are beautiful, and filled with small creeks that hold wild trout. This trip we were catching wild brown trout, and wild cutthroat. The cutthroat were of the Rio Grand subspecies and were very beautiful. All of the fish were caught on dry flies, and with a light action fly rod, so it was fun even though they were small. Also, the technical side of fishing such a small creek is expensive. You really have to pin point your cast, and while the trout were readily coming up for our dries, it was because we were using the right fly. There was a whole 2 hour period that trout were just watching my fly go past them, because I wasn't using the right one. They were picky, and also skittish as well. So you had to have the right flies tied on, and approach the creek with ease. Also, the creek was tiny, and lined with bushes/grasses. So making a cast was near impossible at some spots, and you had to be deadly accurate!
Now that above might seem like a recipe for a frustrating time on the water. However it was not, it was very enjoyable! It was very good fishing if you were using the right flies, accurate with your casts, and subtle with your approach to the creek. The fish were very happy to eat if you do it the right way. And I also was fishing with a fun dude, so we had a great time!
The full back, flash back, bead head, Pheasant Tail (wow thats a mouthful)... Is a great fly! Everyone fishes the flash back pheasant tail, and there are many videos on youtube about how to tie them, but I have yet to find one as a full back flash back. I see these in fly shops all the time though, with the full flash back, but never seen people tie them. I find these full back versions do better when fish are spunky. The more flash on them actually attracts the aggressive fish more, especially on sunny days.
I also like tying these heavy, with a bead head and some lead wraps, but you could omit this in your tie if you want. For me though, I like fishing these as my lead fly, something to get the fishes attention, then drop something a little more subtle behind it, even just a regular pheasant tail, or a simple zebra midge. Something without a bead. The extra weight of my lead fly tends to get the whole rig down deep fast, without the need for lead split shot, so it makes a healthier river and easier day on the water not messing with split shot.
Lets be honest, fly fishing is an expensive sport. If you want quality gear, you have to pay high prices. In fact, this is a world where a $400 fishing rod is considered a bargain. This makes it difficult for people to get into the sport, and start fishing. For a while now, I have been looking for good priced equipment that is also really good quality. However I still had yet to find a great rod that was a bargain. However I think this setup, with the rod, reel, line and case is something I can stand behind. I mean its not the best rod, or reel, or line, or case in the world. But it does work well, it casts great, fights fish good, and is quality made, all for super inexpensive. So if you know someone that is just getting into fly fishing, or you are the individual without a rod setup, then give the RUNCL rod kit a try.
So obviously this kit is made to upgrade individual parts over time. There are better quality rods, better quality lines, and definitely better quality reels out there. But its a great place to start. And when you really get into fishing, and know you enjoy it, then you can upgrade individual components of this kit as you go. Of course you will probably pay as much or more for each individual item than this entire kit, but at least at that point you will know that it will get its use, because by then you will be loving fly fishing and go out at every chance you get.
These can be tied up very quickly, which is rare to find effective streamer patterns that you can tie so quickly. I can fill up a box in a few hours, and the beauty is that its fairly simple, so it lends to a wide range of color combos as well. Especially since we are using rabbit strips and laser dubbing, both of which have quite a few colors available.
Using a cap like this, you really don't have to worry too much about neat heads. In fact, occasionally I mess up my whip finish or how I layer the fly. And the head comes out looking terrible. But thats ok when using these caps, because all your mess-ups at the head are covered by this cap. This fly also is very durable for that reason, a fish will not be able to touch your whip finish with their teeth because that cap is in the way.
The cap is fairly heavy though, but they do make plastic weightless caps as well. So if you want a non-weighted streamer you could use them as well. But I do like the jigging motion this steel head gives. And its not overly heavy on these smaller flies, and I was able to cast with a 4wt rod even.
As always I am listing all the materials in the description section of this video
Hook: Fireholesticks #811 in size 6 -
Cap: Fish-Skull Baitfish Heads, small
Thread: Olive Veevus Powerthread 140
Tail: Olive Rabbit Zonker Strip
Flash Dubbing: Pearl Ice Dub
Head Stacking Dubbing: White and Olive, Senyo's Laser Dub
Cap Adhesive: Super Glue Gel
Eye Resin: Solarez Bone Dry
Well this was an amazing trip! I did not put all the fish I caught in the video, because the video would have been way too long. I caught probably 30+ fish, and almost all of them on my 4wt Redington Butterstick. A few fish on the dry fly, and a few on nymphs. Some hard fighters as well, especially on my 4wt. I had quite a few of them run line hard, and most of them were very acrobatic and jumped quite a few times. Just one of the most productive times Ive had in a long time.
Molas lake is a high mountain lake run by the town of Silverton Colorado and is located in between Silverton and Durango. From what I gathered its a Fishery that Silverton uses to hold hatched fish until they grow bigger, then use the lake to stock many of the creeks, streams and rivers in the surrounding area. So its good fishing, and there are a few really good sized fish in there.
Make sure and stop in the Molas Lake Campground Park Office, to get the current regulations and fish report. Also there is a small fee for camping, and I paid it to fish as well.
The hares ear is a fly that has been around for ages, however its still as effective today as it was over a century ago. The simplicity is really what makes this fly so popular. Its very easy to tie with a very small amount of materials, yet still comes out looking amazing!
No one really knows where this fly comes from or who originated it. Some will say Izaak Walton in the late 1800's, but we really don't know exactly. What we do know is that this fly works, and works wonderfully!
More frequently you see these tied with a tail made of rabbit fur. They would clip a small clump, tie that in at the tail, then dub the body, then tie in a section of turkey wing or pheasant tail fibers for the wing case. I find using the Pheasant tail to start with at the tail negates an extra step, so its much easier and quicker to tie. Also I think it looks better as well, and for me fishes a bit better. So its a win win.
Not only is this fly easy to tie, but it also looks really good. Its really cool that you are using the same dubbing throughout to create the abdomen and the thorax, but dubbed in different degree's of tightness to create a different look. The abdomen when dubbed tightly really does have the perfect "bugginess" look to it. And the thorax when dubbed loose will be perfect for looking like legs of nymph. This is really one of my favorite nymphs to fill a box with because its not only effective, looks great, and can be tied to mimic a wide variety of bug species, its very easy and quick to tie, and I can fill a box in a matter of a few hours. It also looks equally as nice with a bead head, and as different sizes as well. Heck, for really small ones try tying with a finer dubbing.
Speaking of a wide variety of bug species, these are more than likely made to mimic baetis or mayflies, however I know they can mimic caddis as well. Some people even tie these with slight alterations to look like stoneflies. They are very versatile.
As always I am providing a list of materials used on this fly, and also links to the fly artist with a discount code as a thank you for being my subscriber. Please use that as it will save you money on
Your Discount: McFlySubs
Hook I used: Firehole Sticks #633 - https://fireholeoutdoors.com/product/firehole-sticks-633-50-pack/
Alternative Hook Recommendation: Daiichi 1560 - https://www.flyartist.com/collections/daiichi-hooks/products/daiichi-1560-traditional-nymph-hook
Thread: Veevus 6/0 - https://www.flyartist.com/products/veevus-6-0-thread
Tail/Wing case: Natural Pheasant Tail - https://amzn.to/2RvVPMw
Ribbing: I used Gold flat tinsel, but round or oval tinsel will work better (or even gold wire) - https://www.flyartist.com/products/uni-french-oval-tinsel.
Dubbing: Natural Hares Ear Plus: https://www.flyartist.com/products/hareline-hares-ear-plus-dubbing
Resin: Solarez "Thin Hard" UV Resin: https://www.flyartist.com/products/solarez-thin-uv-resin
The Redington butterstick has been one of the leading glass rods out on the market. It always had decent sales compared to other brands rods, and it always was pretty good. However they changed it this year, and I believe they hit it out of the park! Absolutely one of my favorite rods for fishing small creeks and streams.
So, generally with glass rods you loose accuracy, distance, and generally get a heavier rod. Not so with this new butterstick. This is hands down the most accurate rod at shorter distances I have ever used. Now being glass you still arent going to get a rod that will cast 100 feet with ease, but you are getting a rod that can cast further than most glass rods out on the market. And surprisingly this is very light weight, with a super light swing weight. I mean, there isn't a rod out there that I think would do better within 30 feet, casting small dry flies and nymphs than this rod. For small creek fishing around my area, I would rather have this rod than a $900 sage x, Scott Radian, or Orvis Helios 3. And that is saying a lot since they are all very excellent rods! And this is only $250 which is a whole lot cheaper.
So what this rod can do is cast accurately, with a light swing weight at shorter distances. All for a pretty good price at just $250. It is great for dry fly fishing and smaller nymph rigs. Their lineup while somewhat limited, does have in my opinion perfect lengths for each weight they offer. It is also very durable, and very unlikely to break on you.
What this rod doesn't do is cast large streamers or poppers, any fly with weight, or long distance casting of any sort. This is not a rod that is going to bomb a stimulator 100 feet across a large river to a rising trout. For that, stick with a rod like the Sage X.
One of the best days I have ever had fishing! It was unique fishing, and definitely something I want to go do again. Who knew this small creek would have fish in it, but there they were. And tons of them as well! The water was crystal clear, so I was also able to get more underwater footage, and quality underwater footage than I have ever been able to in the past. It seemed like every fish got to swim away on camera.
So the moral of the story is, if you see a trickle of a creek, and think to yourself that its not worth exploring because it could not hold fish in it, maybe give it a 2nd thought. It might be one of the more unique experiences you have ever had fishing!
So as always, with these small secretive creeks, I will not be able to tell you the actual location or creek name, however I can say that it is located somewhere in the south west tip of Colorado, located in the San Juan Forest which is in the lower stretch of the Rocky Mountains. Its beautiful here, and densely forested. Its also very remote and you will rarely see anyone while out exploring. But this means you should be careful! Always go with someone else, and bring a small first aid kit incase something does happen.
In my opinion, the Stimulator is one of the best flies for using as an indicator. It floats high, is super buoyant, and mimics a large range of bug species. I could be wrong, but I believe it was originally created to be a stonefly imitator, however it can easily mimic hoppers, and even large caddis if tied to the correct sizes.
Being very buoyant means that you can drop a bead head nymph behind it, or another small dry fly. This thing will hold up a large variety of other flies. Also, being such a large size, fish tend to hammer this fly hard! Some of my best strikes, where the fish literally came out of the water, have been with a stimulator. Using different colors of hackle, and dubbing can give you different effects. For my local streams in Colorado, this orange/brown body, with tan/grizzly head works great! But your local streams and rivers might vary.
The hook commonly used for this fly is one with long shank, but with a curve to it. The hook I used is from Firehole sticks, but common hooks you can find at most fly shops will be Daiichi 1270 or TMC200. Of course you can use whatever you want, get creative! However a different shaped hook will give it a different look, and won't have that traditional Stimulator body curve to it.
Well this was absolutely one of my favorite times out on the water. With my new favorite small stream rod, the new Redington Butterstick. After I got used to the rod, it became deadly accurate, and it was rather light, which is a combo rarely seen with fiberglass rods.
Even though we didn't catch much the first night, it was rather peaceful being out there, knowing we had a good day ahead of us. Well I take that back, we didn't really know because the weather was calling for some thunder and lightning storms. I don't mind fishing the rain, but last thing I want to do is be out in a lightning storm, waving around a rod. But we got lucky, and the next day was not too bad. We got some really nice fish and went on an adventure though a back country creek, which honestly I thought was too skinny to hold fish. But sure enough they were there!
However this afternoon was not bad fishing to say the least, and we saw some great sites. I have passed by this creek many times, and always wondered how the fishing was. So thank you Jeff for showing me this little secret. It really is a natural wonder just like all of the Colorado small creeks through this amazing range of the Rocky Mountains!
Foam beetles have been around for ages, and there really isn't anything new here. In fact I am sure many people have used ice dubbing before instead of peacock hurl. However I have tied them this way for a long time and really like them like this. So I thought I would show you the way I do them.
As stated in the video, I really like using the ice dubbing because it will give the fly a more buggy look, almost looking like little legs under it, and it gives more flash, and is generally in my experience more durable. Its a win win on all fronts. Also I find dubbing this on to be quicker than wrapping peacock hurl up the hook evenly.
These flies can be tied in a number of sizes, and I have tied them down to even size 16, and all the way up to size 6. Generally with a size 6 or larger, I like to go with a thicker foam, like a size 6mm vs the 2mm I am using here. Or double up the 2mm, which is nice because you have the ability to go 2 tone with the doubled up version. But no mater what size you tie these in, they tend to be very deadly, especially in the late summer when there are lots of terrestrials out. But any time you see beetles flying around, this is a good fly to have tied on your line.
As always I am including a list of the materials I used on this fly.
Hook: #14 Daiichi 1280
Thread: Black Veevus 6/0
Dubbing: Peacock Ice Dub
Wing and hotspot: black and white 2mm fly foam
Cement: Brush on Zap a Gap
I have said many times that the San Juan River is not a dry fly river. And for the most part this is true. I mean you can catch fish on the dry, but usually you have better luck nymphing. However there are times that this is reversed like this time. Usually its when the sky is overcast, and occasionally with light rain, you will get some epic hatches. I mean, there is always midges out and about, but not too many larger fish are going to spend the effort to move to a single tiny midge. However when small BWO hatches happen, or the midge hatch is so thick there are clusters of them on the surface, the fish will start coming to the surface. When you see this, you might have one of the best times of your life fishing! Throw on a small dry fly and have at it. A better combo than I had on this trip would have been a Griffiths knat dropped to the small matts midge. The matts midge is a great imitator of a single midge, and the Griffiths imitates clusters off midges. It would be nearly impossible to see the single matts midge though with a cast further than a couple feet, so the Griffiths or some other indicator type fly is needed.
A while back, a subscriber and customer of mine requested that I make a large articulated streamer for him. He wanted something for large browns pushing 30" that are primarily predatory in a lake he fishes. He has witnessed the browns attacking rainbow trout up to 10 inches, and says they just wont eat anything else. So, I started on this pattern.
I spent a few weeks getting the tying down on this fly, and blew through quite a few hooks. I started off with a lead dumbbell eye for weight and to keep it swimming upright, and then settled on keeling the fly with some lead wraps. He wanted to keep this from sinking too fast though, as he was going to fish it on a sink tip line. So I found the minimum wraps of lead was 5 on a .025 lead wire to keep it swimming upright. Also, after I filmed this video, I realized that you have to fish it for a minute or two, getting it to sink underwater to soak up water in the rabbit strip in order for it to relax while swimming. The hide holds air bubbles, and wants to rise to the surface. Which makes for a funny looking back on the fly. However I don't think that will effect its fishability as it could be perceived to a fish as a dorsal fin. However after a few minutes of fishing (or me soaking it in a bowl of water) I did find that it swam more evenly, and that tail kicked out to the side more, rather than wanting to lift up.
So I myself have not been able to fully test this fly on fish. I just don't have anywhere I can fish for large browns or pike, or bass that are praying on 6" rainbows. However I will keep you guys updated on whether or not this works out for him, and if he allows, maybe post up a picture of his very large brown trout he catches with it. However after working on getting this fly to swim just right for a few months, I am confident fish will like it based on its action.
Ok as promised here is a list of the materials I used on this fly.
Tail Hook: Gamakatsu B10S in size 2
Front Hook: Ahrex PR320 in size 4/0
Thread: Veevus 140 Power thread in Olive
Tail Feathers: Olive and White Blood Quill Marabou
Tail Flash: Pearl Krystal Flash
Top Wing: Black Barred Olive Rabbit Strip
Belly: Custom Dubbing Brush
Pink Accent: Pink Version of the Custom Dubbing Brush
Wire: Thin Black Intruder Wire
Bead: I got it at walmart... Just find a random plastic bead with holes large enough for the wire to fit through twice.
Dubbing: White and Olive Senyos Laser Dub
Eye: 7mm "Ice" Living Eyes
Eye Adhesive: Gell Super Glue
Head Cement: Solarez "ultra thin" UV Resin
What is commonly called the "brahma" bugger is an improvement on the original wooly bugger due to its incredible look, and movement when under the water. This fly pulsates due to the chickabou and soft hackle makeup. Now I call this the "soft hackle bugger" because I dont tie it with a brahma pelt. I find any soft hackle pelt with chickabout, or even the mini marabou packages paired up with the soft hackle packages will give the exact same effect for less money. You can also get longer or shorter fibered soft hackles this way, and a wider range of colors as well than just using the whiting brahma pelts. Basically any type of hen soft hackle with chickabou (or mini marabou) will work for this fly.
I also added a bit of flash in the tail like I do with original wooly buggers, which from my knowledge wasn't originally done with the first version of this brahma bugger. You can also make this two tone, or even stripped by changing out colors of the hackle as well. For instance, alternating a darker and lighter hackle will give a neat effect.
If you can stick around to the end of this video, I put some underwater footage of this fly, showing just how well this flows in the water. This fly really moves well, and every fiber seems to vibrate. The fly also pushes a fair amount of water as well, so its a great fly for many situations. I love swinging this fly in riffles for trout, but also it makes a great fly for a sink tip in a deep pool, or even in lakes for bass. Just like the original wooly bugger, I suspect this will work for just about any species out there including some salt water ones as well.
As always im listing all the materials I used on this fly.
Hook: Daiichi 1740 in size 8
Thread: Veevus 6/0
Tail: Chickabou/mini marabou
Flash: Holographic Flashabou
Body: Soft Hackle
Head Cement: Solarez "ultra thin" UV Resin
If you like high mountain creek fishing, and dry fly fishing, this is the video to watch! Incredible action on the fly rod. Every fish was hooked on a dry fly, and it seemed like for a while I couldn't keep them off my line. The best producer of the day was an Elk Hair Caddis, which you can see how to tie that here... https://youtu.be/rF4yLJKqNPo
So one of the brook trout was so dar, it was almost black at parts, and had a deep black mouth. Amazingly beautiful! In fact, almost all of the fish caught were very colorful! The most colorful brookies ive seen to date! Just amazing! Also Jeff had some luck further down stream and got a few rio grand cutthroat! Amazing day for all of us.
So this small 6pc pack rod is amazing! I love it! Its the Redington Classic Trout, and its a 3wt. Its nice to have such a compact rod for hiking back country. It fits great in a small backpack, and has some great action for these small creeks. If your interested in checking this out, here is a link to my review on this rod. https://youtu.be/0cgyGcBfbvM
So the chernobyl ant doesn't really look like an ant. I guess its closer to maybe a hopper imitation? Even that is very suggestive. However this fly seems to produce very well, especially when trout are actively feeding on large terrestrials in the mid to late summer. Not only is this a good trout fly, but it is a great bluegill, panfish fly and bass fly as well. It floats amazingly, and is one of the best indicator type flies out there. By indicator fly, I mean a fly that is large, and able to be seen, that you can use to float a nymph, or see when a small dry fly is taken.
So they seem difficult to tie, and for the first dozen or so, you will think its tough. It will take a while to tie your first few, but once you get into a rhythm of tying these, you can crank them out quite quickly. And, the color combination is pretty much endless, with many different colors of foam and rubber legs. Also this fly does well tied in a wide range of sizes as well.
So as usual I am listing all the materials used on this fly below, with links to the fly artist where I have partnered with to provide you with a discount. Type in McFlySubs at checkout for your discount.
Hook: Daiichi 1280 in size 14
Dubbing: Antron dubbing in orange gold
Foam: 2mm foam in gold, olive, and orange
Legs: grizzly barred rubber legs
Cement: Hard as Hull
I took a trip to San Antonio, TX and brought my travel 3wt rod with me because I just can't go anywhere without a fly rod in hand. The river I was fishing was the Guadelupe river, just north of San Antonio. It was a great trip, and I was able to bring in quite a few fish. One being a catfish! I know, catfish on the fly! But it was a 3 species trip, and I was able to catch bass and bluegill as well.
So the reason I took this trip to San Antonio, was that my wife's sister got married! Congrats to Claudia and Ryan! Anyway, the wedding was one day, and we were there a total of 6, so I had a few days to go try my hand at the river. I tried many spots, and probably could have done better if I knew the river more. Also, the fly rod was a 3wt, so it was tough to get the larger bass streamers out with casts. But it still was a fun time!
The RS2 is one of the more simple, yet effective flies out there. Especially for tailwater rivers that require small presentations. This fly looks great all the way down to size 26, and is relatively easy to tie in that size. But you can also fish them up to size 16 or possibly even larger if you so choose. The fly has a limited amount of materials, and once you get the hang of tying these, you can nock them out pretty quickly. They can mimic a midge emerger, or even a baetis emerger deepening on the color and size you tie it. Common colors are black, brown, gray, and olive. Also they can be tied in two tone as well. Build your body with one color dubbing, then add the wing, then make the head with another color dubbing. Gives an interesting look. Try gray/black, olive/brown, and white/black. Or get creative and make your own combo.
So I am using a dry fly hook for this, as I like the CDC to actually keep this up off the bottom. How I fish this is behind another fly which is weighted, to keep it down on the bottom, then this fly rides up higher to look like a bug emerging. However if you want this closer to the bottom, you can tie it with a heavier wire nymph hook, and even add some weight with some lead wire if you so choose. But be careful about adding too much lead as it will bulk up your fly.
Hook: Daiichi 1110 size 20
Thread: Black Veevus 16/0
Tail: Clear Microfibetts or Mayfly Tails
Dubbing: Black UV2 Fine and Dry
Wing: White CDC Oiler Puff
Glue: Hard as Hull Head Cement
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