Tying Complex Twist Buggers

Hi Everyone!

Tonight we spent the evening learning how to tie Complex Twist Buggers. Ironically, there is nothing complex about tying twist buggers. The simplicity of constructing these great streamers may change the way you tie, woolly bugger type flies. The gang at Fly Fish Food designed this type of fly and I have to say that the end result is a great looking fly and you can certainly design your version of this neat pattern.

We had another amazing turn out of fly tyers. The gang was having a great time constructing and designing their own Complex Twist Buggers.

Our next tying session is Monday January 6th. We will be concentrating on blended thread chironomids. Merry Christmas Everyone! Karen and I hope you have an amazing Christmas. See you in 2025!

Complex Twist Buggers (Fly Fish Food staff originators)

Hook: size 6 to size 2 4xl streamer hook

Thread: Colour to match

Conehead: Size to match

Tail: Marabou

Body: Polar chenille and schlappen

Collar: Ice dub, etc

Complex Twist Bugger

Baby Complex Twist Bugger

 

Complex Twist Buggers on Monday December 16th at 6:30 pm

There is NOTHING complex about tying a Complex Twist Bugger. It is a very cool tying style that may change the way you tie Russell Blessing's Woolly Bugger type flies. The guys at Fly Fish Food have made this type of streamer pattern extremely popular and I personally think the effect of these streamers is outstanding. The neat thing is designing your own pattern.

Remember to bring some thing that can grip hackle and polar chenille together so you can twist them. Electric clip, alligator clip or sturdy hackle pliers. I will have several extras to use!

All you will need on Monday night is UTC tan (or cream), black and olive thread! Honestly the tread colour is not that important because the thread is buried. Whether you fish rivers or lakes, this is one session you will definitely want to check out!

See you Monday night! It is the last session before Christmas. We will get going again right away in January!

 

Fly Tying Mondays Schedule

Hi Everyone! 

Its time to get Fly Tying Mondays started. Please note the new starting time of 6:30 pm. That is a request from our host Adam. The Central Alberta Fly Tying Club is for all tying abilities and it is basically a drop in group every Monday starting November 25th. Just bring your tying tools and we will supply the tying materials. The cost is $5 which is used to cover the cost of the tying materials for that particular session!

As always, I am looking for presenters who would like to share a couple of flies with the group!

Here are the dates:

Monday November 25th-Bob Vanderwater-Cormorants

Monday December 2nd- Dr. Bill Young

Monday December 9th-Blobs-The Latest and the Greatest!

Monday December 16th- Bob Vanderwater-Twist Buggers!

Christmas

Monday January 6th-  Blended Chironomids

Monday January 13th- Garnet Clews

Monday January 22st- Rick Miyauchi

Monday January 27th- Pike Streamers and Cree Lake Adventure

Monday February 3rd- Dan Reaman

Monday February 10th- Larry Prowse

Monday February 17th- Family Day-No Tying!

Monday February 24th- Doug Pullan-Bombers

Monday March 3rd-Rick Miyauchi

Monday March 10th- Dan Reaman

Monday March 17th- Garnet Clews

Monday March 24th- Ralf Kuntzemann

 

Why Blobs? ...Amazing Fish Catchers!

Blobs are definitely fish catchers! In the last year, Karen and I have caught pike, lake trout, rainbows and brookies on blobs! So amazing. When the fish are eating daphnia (zoo plankton), tiny chironomids or just  something like an attractor to hit; tie on a blob! Tonight we had another room full of 22 fly tyers. We concentrated on a tying the colours below. We used krinkle mirror flash for tails (optional), lead weight, (or no weight) or beads to help get the blobs into the strike zone. We used jig hooks and wide gaped hooks to tie on! Blobs rarely have more than 2 sometimes three materials to tie on. Easy peasy! You definitely need a box full of these simple fish catching flies. I get all my blob material and hooks from The Canadian Llama Company.

Next week we are tying Complex Twist Buggers. Bring something to grip onto and twist hackle and polar chenille. You may change the way you tie streamers after this session! See you then!

Can you see the daphnia at the bottom?

Daphnia near the surface of the lake!

Caught on a blob!

 

Blobs on Monday December 9th

We are going to spend the evening talking about Blobs. We will talk about material, hooks, adding flash/no flash, set up,  and weight/no weight! Just bring your usual threads. It will be a very informative evening. See you there at 6:30 pm!

 

Flies THAT WORK with Dr. Bill Young!

Dr. Bill Young was our guest presenter today. Dr. Bill showed us three flies that just plain work out on the water. His friend's variation of a Carey Special and two ways to tie the Catatonic Leech are welcome additions to our fly boxes! Dr. Bill loves to use this version of a Carey Special as a searching pattern, especially when he is on a new body of water! The Catatonic Leech has been a staple here in Central Alberta. As Bill says it just plain works! You can check out this article by Don Andersen about the Catatonic Leech!

Tonight we had a tremendous turn out! It was a fantastic session thanks to Dr. Bill!

Next week, we are going to tie Blobs. I am amazed at what species love to eat blobs. Come and find out about the coolest flies that are definitely fish catchers. This year I have caught pike, lake trout, backcountry trout and pot hole trout on a variety of colours of blobs. You will not want to miss this tying session!

Catatonic Leech

Hook: Mustad 79580-sizes 10 and 12

Thread: Olive

Tail: Marabou, olive

Body: Marabou, olive

Carey Special Variation

Hook: 9672-sizes 8-10

Bead: Glass or brass

Tail: Melanistic Pheasant Rump Feather

Body: Olive rabbit

Rib: Gold wire

Collar: Melanistic Pheasant 

Catatonic Leech-Balanced

Hook: Your favourite size 12-10 jig hook

Thread: Olive

Tail: Marabou, olive

Body: Marabou, olive

 

Butler's Bug-An Excellent Dragon Fly Imitation

I had a day at Ironside Pond where I wished I had a few of these in the corner of my fly box. Take a look!

 

Cormorant Flies to Kick Off the 2024-2025 Fly Tying Season

Hot Spot Cormorant (Dave McPhail)

Hook: Hanak 230 #10

Thread: Orange 8/0

Butt: Chartreuse Glo Bright

Body: Peacock herl, black 

Rib: Silver wire, small

Wing: Marabou Cheeks: Goose Biots

Hi Everyone!

Another excellent start to the new fly tying season with the Central Alberta Fly Tyers. Tonight we tied Cormorants. They are a staple in the United Kingdom and it was time that we added several cormorants to our fly tying box. They can be fished on a washing line as droppers or stripped. They look like bait fish but they can also represent a chironomid. What a versatile pattern! The 4 cormorant patterns came from  inspirations from both Davie McPhail and Lyndsay Simpson.

Next week, Dr. Bill Young is our instructor.  I wonder what he has up his sleeve? 

See you next week!

The Gang is Focussed! 

Traffic Light Cormorant

Hook: Hanak 230 #10

Thread: Black: 8/0

Body: Peacock herl, black

Rib: Red Holographic tinsel covered by pearl mylar, medium

Wing: Marabou, black

Cormorant Fry (Davie McPhail)

Hook: Hanak 230 #10

Thread: Orange 8/0

Body: Red Holographic tinsel covered with Mirage Opal Tinsel

Collar: Red Ice Dub

Wing: Marabou, black

Eyes: Small

Competition Cormorant (Lindsay Simpson)

Hook: Hanak 230 #10

Thread: White and orange 8/0- hot spot head

Body: White thread covered by pearl tinsel

Rib: Stretch Flex, light brown

Wing: Marabou, black