Matt's Bug


Step 1 - Attach Olive 6/0 thread to size 6-18 nymph hook.
Step 2 - Attach black bead chain eyes half way between hook point and eye. Add lead tape or wire behind eyes.
Step 3 - Add in olive tail with 8 strands of rainbow flash.
Step 4 - Tie in olive hackle feather and form a dubbing rope with extremely thin charteuse flash (angel hair from Orvis).
Step 5 - wrap dubbing rope forward through the eyes building up the area behind the eyes.
Palmer hackle forward adding a couple of turns behind eyes and a couple in front of eyes. Whip finish and cement.
Here's the same fly tied with more copper colored materials.

The original recipe for the bug is:

Hook: sizes 2-18 in 2xl to 4xl (6-12 are most common)

thread: Olive 6/0

Black Bead chain eyes (medium)

Underbody weight: Adhesive lead tape (3/4 the length of the shank cut into a triangle)wrapped on the hook shank forming a tapered body -- with the goal to have a weight balance that leads to a fly you can twitch near horizontally on the retrieve.

Tail: olive marabou (we had success on the South Llano using a white tail)

Dubbing: Chartreuse Lite Brite or EP Sparkle or any similar fine mylar of the similar color.

Hackle: olive palmered over the dubbed body, wrapped a couple extra times behind the eyes in order to push more water.