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Leeches and Woolly Buggers |
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There are many "wormy" looking creatures that live in aquatic environments. Most lakes and weedy streams have dense populations of leeches and aquatic worms. During much of the time they are buried in the substrate or bottom vegetation. However during low light conditions they often forage about where they are exposed to patrolling game fish. Trout and bass seek out these tender morsels and eat them like candy. This is especially true early in the spring before weeds start to grow. Leeches and Wooly Buggers are your |
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most important early season lake flies. If the water
temperature is cold, they are most effective when fished slowly along the
bottom with a sinking fly line. Leaches and Woolly Buggers are also
very important flies for fishing the steep, fast moving streams west of
the Cascades. Earthworms live in the humus under our forests in prolific
populations. Seasonal precipitation and immense water fluctuations sweep
many into our rivers. All of the coastal streams that connect with
the Pacific Ocean have Lamprey Eels. These two-foot long aquatic
invertebrates are anadromous, like salmon and steelhead. That means that
they spend their reproductive cycle and larval cycle in fresh water
streams, but also spend part of their rearing cycle in the ocean. None of
our salmonids have evolved large enough to eat them in their adult form;
(to bad). However, Lamprey larva live in the sandbars and silts that
collect in eddies and pools of their natal streams, for two years. These
sandbars are continually shifting and these Lamprey larva are often
exposed to any fish that live in the same area. Even in the early stages
of development they are able to swim with surprising speed. Juvenile Lampreys are clumsy and sightless until just before they migrate to the
ocean. At this stage they develop eyes and turn from olive-gray to
blackish-silver. Lamprey larva may account for the fact that marabou leech
and wooly bugger patterns are so productive for trout and steelhead in our
west-slope streams even though they don't have prolific populations of
leeches. Flash-a-Buggers simulate a number of game fish foods including large nymphs, leaches, crayfish and bait fish. They might be termed big "yummies". If you have the right size and color of Flash-a-Bugger, you can probably catch nearly every specie of fresh water predator-fish with it. Black, Peacock and Olive Flash-a-Buggers are the staple flies for early season lake fishing. As the water warms Brown and Maroon become equally effective. Black, Brown and Olive Flash-a-Buggers are productive for trout and Small Mouth Bass in all rivers, all year. They have proven most effective when fished deep with a sinking tip line. Possibly the single most effective summer steelhead fly on either side of the Cascades is the Purple Flash-a-Bugger. |
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| Flash-A-Bugger,
Black This is the number one early season fly for most lakes. It is proven productive for both trout and bass. It is also a very good option for summer steelhead, especially during low water periods. |
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| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 11800-04 | Flash-A-Bugger, Black | 4 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11800-06 | Flash-A-Bugger, Black | 6 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11800-08 | Flash-A-Bugger, Black | 8 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11800-10 | Flash-A-Bugger, Black | 10 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| Flash-A-Bugger,
Black/Olive This may be the number two most proven lake fly and can be number one at times. It can be fished fast or slow. Vary your retrieve until you find the magic formula. |
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| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 11802-04 | Flash-A-Bugger, Black/Olive | 4 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11802-08 | Flash-A-Bugger, Black/Olive | 8 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| Flash-A-Bugger,
Maroon The blood leech may exist only in angler's fantasies, but this is still a very productive fly in many kinds of lakes and ponds. It is often very productive if fished very slowly with a floating line and very long leader so that the fly hovers just above the bottom. |
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| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 11804-04 | Flash-A-Bugger, Maroon | 4 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11804-06 | Flash-A-Bugger, Maroon | 6 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11804-08 | Flash-A-Bugger, Maroon | 8 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| Flash-A-Bugger,
Olive A wise man once said that if you want to catch trout from alkaline lakes your best fly would be inch long & green. In some lakes and rivers inch and a half long and green is an even better option. This is a must have fly no mater where you fish in fresh water. |
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| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 11888-04 | Flash-A-Bugger, Olive | 4 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11888-06 | Flash-A-Bugger, Olive | 6 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11888-08 | Flash-A-Bugger, Olive | 8 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11888-10 | Flash-A-Bugger, Olive | 10 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| Flash-A-Bugger,
Peacock This is a very good early season fly for many lakes which contain trout or large mouth bass. Troll is slowly across the bottom. |
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| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 11899-04 | Flash-A-Bugger, Peacock | 4 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11899-06 | Flash-A-Bugger, Peacock | 6 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11899-08 | Flash-A-Bugger, Peacock | 8 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| Flash-A-Bugger,
Purple Possibly the single most effective summer steelhead fly on either side of the Cascades is the Purple Flash-a-Bugger. It is best when fished deep with a sinking tip line. |
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| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 11900-04 | Flash-A-Bugger, Purple | 4 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11900-06 | Flash-A-Bugger, Purple | 6 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11900-08 | Flash-A-Bugger, Purple | 8 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| Flash-A-Bugger,
Root Beer This color is very productive in both lakes and streams. Many alkaline lakes have dense populations of leeches that are this color. They seem to be most active as the water begins to warm in the spring. This is also productive is rivers where trout eat sculpins and crayfish. |
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| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 11905-04 | Flash-A-Bugger, Root Beer | 4 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11905-06 | Flash-A-Bugger, Root Beer | 6 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11905-08 | Flash-A-Bugger, Root Beer | 8 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| 11905-10 | Flash-A-Bugger, Root Beer | 10 | 3 for $5.25 | |
| Flash-A-Bugger,
White This is a deadly fly anywhere predator fish eat minnows. Trout, land locked salmon, bass and crappies are a few of the fresh water fish that regularly caught with this fly. It is often best when retrieved at high speed. |
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| Item | Description | Size | Price | To Top |
| 11906-06 | Flash-A-Bugger, White | 6 | 3 for $5.25 | |
No one beats our quality at any price!
The
Fly Fishing Shop, Welches, OR
1
(800) 266-3971
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