Crystal Bugger tying instructions - Largemouth Yellowfish

[Michael]

FLY: CRYSTAL BUGGER with rubber legs (Olive version. Can also be tied in black, and brown)

Fish targeted: Largemouth Yellowfish
This fly is not the easiest to tie, but well worth the effort!

MATERIALS:

HOOK: Gamagatsu SL11-3H, size #6 (Also #8, #10) or suitable substitute.
THREAD: Olive, Danville size 6/0
BEADHEAD: 4mm brass or gold
WEIGHT: (Optional) 0.015 lead wire
TAIL: Marabou fibers, olive
FLASH: Fishflash Gold, or crystal flash (gold colour)
BODY: Cactus chenille, olive or green (Dubbing can also be used, spiky flashy olive dubbing will work well). Remember the flashy-ness of the fly adds to the attraction and triggers for the fish.
LEGS: Mottled nymph Sili-Legs, or substitute

TYING INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Slip the bead onto the hook, mount the hook in the vise, add the weight (if required), start your thread and lay a base of thread down. Also secure the weight with the thread, as shown.


STEP 2: Tie in some olive marabou feathers for the tail (sparcely...the key word, not too much!) secure with thread and trim the excess. Pinch the marabou fibers to length (do not cut it)...should be 1.5 times the length of the hook shank. Tie in two strands of gold flash on either side of the tail, and trim to the length of the tail.


STEP 3: Tie in the sili-legs, two legs on each side of the hook shank. The one set of legs should be about halfway up the shank, the other pair about 3 or 4 mm behind the bead head. Do not cut the sili-legs to length yet, leave them long.


STEP 4: take your thread to the back of the fly, hold the legs out of the way (I use my hackle pliers for this) and secure the end of the cactus chenille where the tail starts.


STEP 5: This is the tricky part. Wind the cactus chenille forward, and try to brush each wind backwards before making the next turn. This way minimal cactus chenille material gets trapped by itself, creating a nice buggy body. Take care when winding through and past the legs, to not trap them facing forwards. Your legs need to face backwards or 90 deg to the side of the hook shank.


STEP 6: Now secure the chenille just behind the bead with a few thread wraps, tie off the excess, secure witha few more wraps, whip finish and tie off. Add a drop of head cement to the thread wraps. Now cut the sili-legs to the required length. (See pic below)


STEP 7: The finished fly viewed from above. Note the leg positions and length of legs. This fly has a lot of flash, good movement in the water, and a lot of triggers for the fish.


Regards
Mike

[Pheasant Tail Nymph]

Mike, this fly looks great!

I want to tie up a few of them for an upcoming trip. I will just need to make a plan for the bead... I doubt that my local fly shop stocks such large beads. The gold flash might also be a challenge.

Now I would like to ask, how and where do you fish this pattern. What retrieve do you use and where do you fish it? In the usual places with structure like tree stumps, large rocks or overhanging branches, or have I got it all wrong? I've never fished for Largemouths so I don't know much.

Regards,
PTN

[Benja]

I havent tied a fly myself yet, but I've watched all dave cammiss' videos and he shows quite clearly how to fold the chenile back.

[Michael]

Mike, this fly looks great!

I want to tie up a few of them for an upcoming trip. I will just need to make a plan for the bead... I doubt that my local fly shop stocks such large beads. The gold flash might also be a challenge.

Now I would like to ask, how and where do you fish this pattern. What retrieve do you use and where do you fish it? In the usual places with structure like tree stumps, large rocks or overhanging branches, or have I got it all wrong? I've never fished for Largemouths so I don't know much.

Regards,
PTN

Hi PTN

The name of the game...improvise! Use bead-chain eyes instead (bath-chain type). You can buy these at any hardware in about three different sizes. Then cut them off two-two with a sidecutter. Makes excellent eyes, and if you tie it on top of the hook shank, the fly will swim upside down with the hook point up, which is also an added plus.

On the flash...it doesn't HAVE to be gold...use crinkle flash maybe, in olive, or ginger, or something. The material list above is not hard and fast, you can improvise with what you can get.

Then, targeting largemouth...you need all these elements for success:
1. Structure
2. Rocky substrate
3. Some flow of water
4. Deepish water, maybe between 1.5m and 3m.

If you can get a spot with all four these elements, jackpot. Next to hiasint beds too, with flow going past...glide water.

When you cast this pattern, as it hits the water keep tension on the line. The takes are normally "on the drop" or as the fly sinks. It's a good idea to cast it downstream, to make it easier on you. Once you have waited maybe 10 seconds or so, start a strip retrieve of about 10cm each, in short burts, pausing every now and then for a second or two.
Vary your retrieves, until you find one that works for you.

Mike

[Herman Jooste]

A tip I got from Turner. When fishing for LM, down and accross. You should not have spooked the lie 'cos you would normally be drifting downstream. By going down and accross you should be in immediate contact with your fly.
As Michael has said, LM often take the fly on the drop. Never loose sight of the end of your fly line, especially after the cast.

[Scythe]

Another tip: If you're fishing down and across and you've got a fishy feeling about a 'lie', judge the flow/current and cast a downstream bow into the line. Your fly will start swinging almost instantaneously so you will remain in constant contact with the fly.

In cases like that, it helps to have a slightly heavier than normal fly.

[Pheasant Tail Nymph]

Thanks for the info, guys. I'd like to thank you personally, but I'll probably have to wait a while. I'll do the next best thing, though. I'll post some pictures of any largemouths that I catch and get pictures of.

I will try my best to improvise as best I can.

Regards,
PTN

[Wiets]

Hi Mike

Thank you for all the patterns you are posting!
It is really very helpful for somebody like me.