Ok, so I couldn't find a video of a Wooly fly so a Woolly Bugger will have to do. This version, one of probably a 1,000 or more woolly fly patterns out there, is presented by Scott's Virtual Fly Tying. I like Scott's fly tying videos because he gives you the recipe for the fly, something not everyone does - thanks Scott, keep the videos coming!
So What IS a Wooly Fly?
Good question; one that my 5-year old, Jack, asked me the other day and to be honest I could not really answer. Maybe you can help. I know of the Woolly Bugger, arguably one of the most versatile and effective fly patterns ever created, and the Woolly Worm, which is believed to have evolved from the British palmered flies, but not a Wooly Fly per se.
Woolly Wisedom
Perhaps if I owned a copy of Woolly Wisdom
Perhaps you know? If so, please leave me a comment below so I can put Jack at ease!
Fly Tying Materials
You may have noticed we have added an on-line fly shop to the site. This past week we started setting up shop and are please to now be able to offer you a full line of fly tying equipment and fly tying materials through a number of our retail partners. Let us know what you think and if there is something in particular you would like us to add to the inventory.
Happy tying!
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Because of the Woolly Worm and Woolly Bugger, the term “woolly fly” applies to both of them and to related patterns (mostly palmered flies). At least in fly tying and fly fishing. The Woolly Worm pattern was, of course, named after the woolly bear caterpillar, sometimes called woolly worm. Perhaps you can impress Jack by informing him that the ratio of black to brown in a woolly bear’s bristles have nothing at all to do with the severity or temperature of the coming winter.
Here another one for you to dazzle jack: When the word “Ugly” is appropriately applied to a fly’s name, it implies that the hackle is cut short–not that the fly is less than nice-looking. But for some reason, contemporary tiers are applying the term literally.
Wow, thank you for replying Gary! Jack will be very impressed. I foresee a long conversation about “Ugly” flies; I may need to save that one for when he is a little older or when I have a few hours to answer the ‘but why’ line of questions that will surely follow.
Thanks again for replying, I’m humbled.
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