Black Metallic Bugger

Tied by Joe Warren

From crappie to carp to coho, buggers are the most versatile of patterns. Here’s an attractor with profile, bugginess and flash. Swing it for steelhead, strip it for trout or shake it for smallmouth bass. Tier and originator, Joe Warren calls the Black Metallic Bugger his ‘go-to’ fly.

Change colors and sizes, especially the bead color to add variety or match local conditions. For a deeper drift, add a metal cone, a bead head or dumbbell eyes.

Tie this pattern with black thread on a No. 4-8XL Daiichi. For the tail, use a ¼-inch stub of black polypro yarn then add a hook-length of black fox with two strands of Flashabou. Tie in 2-pound monofilament and a black hackle feather. Wrap thread forward. Wrap hackle forward and secure with thread, whip finish and cut thread. Wrap mono over hackle and push a 3/0 gun metal glass bead back as tight as possible to hackle. Bring mono underneath the bead and make several wraps in front of it. Add another black hackle, wrap several times and tie off with mono then push a bead back, bringing the mono in front of the bead. Continue this pattern to the head and finish.

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