Zug Bug
A peacock heavy searching nymph pattern that uses peacock sword barbs as the tail, and peacock herl as the body. The legs on this variant are tied in as a beard, which allows for a wider range of hen hackles to be used than the alternative wet fly collar approach.
- Submitted By: Fly Tying Guide
Materials
1
Place the hook in the vise and secure the thread behind the eye. Run the thread to the start of the hook bend.
2
Catch in 3 to 4 peacock sword barbs for the tail, the barbs should extend past the hook bend one hook gap in length.
3
Catch in 3 to 4 inches of silver tinsel and 2 to 3 peacock herls at the tail tie in point, and then advance the thread just short of the eye while covering the tag ends.
4
Wind the herl along the shank to form the body, secure and trim any excess just short of the eye.
5
Counter wind the tinsel towards the eye taking even spaced turns to form the ribbing. Secure and trim any excess.
6
Catch in the hen hackle barbs on the bottom of the body to form the beard. The barbs should extend to the middle of the body, splay the barbs around the hook shank slightly to give the impression of legs on the bug.
7
Prepare the duck flank feather by stripping the fluff and enough of the barbs off the quill to expose the thinner portion of the quill. Catch in the quill behind the eye and directly on top of the hook shank. Pull the quill towards the eye slightly until the barbs start to compress and then secure and the quill.
8
Trim the quill and cover the tag end with thread while forming a small head. Trim the wood flank feather to form a small triangular wing case. Finish the fly with a whip finish and apply head cement.
9
Finished fly.