Old style bass bugging

[allsorts]

When I was 16 I got a glass Fenwick 9wt and a Pink Cortland BBT WF9F for my birthday. Being relatively poor and living in rural KZN it was farm dams that I fished (with spinning tackle up to that point). I subsequently got Charlie Waterman's 'Fresh and Saltwater Flyfishing' and a string of those excellent Sci Anglers Warmwater FF mags to inspire me. I also remember reading some of Bruce Truter's fly rod bass stories in Man magazine. I tied and fished my own deerhair bass bugs pretty much exclusively as the dams were weedy and shallow and there was no need for streamers. I caught lots of fish, including a few bigger ones and I remember the magic of the whole thing very well - plopping a bug into a clear pocket in the weeds and getting those awesome toilet-flush strikes. Bass bugging is special. Given the availability of really good glass rods in higher weights now I'm thinking of going back to doing some of this old style. After all huge numbers of bass are caught conventionally on hollow floating frogs which I can duplicate perfectly with big hair bugs. Has anyone else done bugging with deerhair bugs or perhaps aspires to do so? As it happens I fished a perfect venue just this weekend - I reckon a 4kg on a bass bug is totally doable there.

[Shamwari]

When I was 16 I got a glass Fenwick 9wt and a Pink Cortland BBT WF9F for my birthday. Being relatively poor and living in rural KZN it was farm dams that I fished (with spinning tackle up to that point). I subsequently got Charlie Waterman's 'Fresh and Saltwater Flyfishing' and a string of those excellent Sci Anglers Warmwater FF mags to inspire me. I also remember reading some of Bruce Truter's fly rod bass stories in Man magazine. I tied and fished my own deerhair bass bugs pretty much exclusively as the dams were weedy and shallow and there was no need for streamers. I caught lots of fish, including a few bigger ones and I remember the magic of the whole thing very well - plopping a bug into a clear pocket in the weeds and getting those awesome toilet-flush strikes. Bass bugging is special. Given the availability of really good glass rods in higher weights now I'm thinking of going back to doing some of this old style. After all huge numbers of bass are caught conventionally on hollow floating frogs which I can duplicate perfectly with big hair bugs. Has anyone else done bugging with deerhair bugs or perhaps aspires to do so? As it happens I fished a perfect venue just this weekend - I reckon a 4kg on a bass bug is totally doable there.

Rolfe, keep 28Feb14 open, that "perfect venue" is having a charity event and we will get to the fish the river exclusively...there be plenty 4kgs swimming about there...

[allsorts]

Oooh tell me more...

[Shamwari]

Oooh tell me more...

Brightsight Charity event, the boats will hit the dam, the Kickboats will be in the Palmiet...trust me, it is good fishing.

I did not see you on Sat, but then again, it looked like a rugby match with all the vehicles and people...waaaayy to busy in my humble opinion...

[allsorts]

Ja it was a bit messy for sure - have you been following the debate on the BF forum about 'weigh-in' v CMeasurePR? Eish! I'l make a note in my diary and start tying some bugs...