As fall begins and water becomes murky and bright marabou patterns are often ticket. And in winter I use lots of egg-sucking leeches, bunny leeches, and bright egg patterns like Sucker Spawn. As water becomes more murky, brighter pattern one can get away with.

Nymphing becomes more and more popular every year for steelhead, which ignites old argument whether or not steelhead eat once they enter river. It seems more certain in Great Lakes region that they are thought to, while Pacific steelhead is thought not to. The extra space taken up with roe or sperm production results in a very shrunken stomach. Nevertheless more and more angler’s are using stonefly nymphs, hare’s ear, and caddis larva to catch steelhead in west. Matching hatch is not as crucial as it is in trout fishing, nevertheless fishing a pattern that represents a common food source in river being fished is necessary. Nymphing for Steelhead is more successful further inland, as it is thought Steelhead become interested in feeding after having been in river system for awhile.

What fish think they are hitting when they hit a Bugger is somewhat a mystery. To human’s eyes it could be a bait fish, a leech, a grub, a cricket, a stonefly, a dragonfly nymph, a damselfly nymph, list is endless. And perhaps that is what makes it such a great all-purpose pattern. It is a nymph, a streamer, and an attractor all in one. We’ll let fish classify it.

New twists on this pattern have even added to its effectiveness. Now usually tied with krystal flash or flashabou in its tail, for added attraction. A wire rib counter-wrapped through hackle can also add flash and more importantly durability. It seems history of Bugger is still being written and while we all try ways to ‘improve’ this most popular pattern. Fish, that put in a whole lot less thought about this pattern will curse day Mr. Blessing or whoever first tied one on a hook.