So what’s better than a Wooly Bugger, nothing right. Well, I’m pretty sure that’s true but remove the traditional hackle and use Schapplen feathers and you have a contender.

Keep the marabou tail and body chenille but swap the hackle for schapplen feathers and it’s a whole new fly. It adds a ton of bulk without adding too much weight or extra materials. This fly is excellent ammo for big Rainbow and Brown trout for sure but my guess is it will also work well for many different freshwater species. I will let you know as I begin to target a wider variety of fish.

Step by step instructions Autumn Splendor version:

Begin as usual by sliding the cone onto the hook and placing the hook firmly in your tying jaws.

I am using .030 for this large fly

With .030 even 15 wraps will add a good bit of weight

Tightly wrap your lead or lead-free wire onto the hook shank and push into the cone against the hook eye.

UTC 140 in brown

The UTC is great because it is super strong and lays flat

Start your tying thread behind the lead wire and make a thread dam/ramp onto the lead. Fix the lead firmly to the hook shank.

Brown Blood Quills are the best!

Measure the hook shank for the tail length.

Tail tied right up to the lead wire.

Now time to tie in the tail. Starting with the brown this will be the first of three feathers I will tie in for the tail on this fly.

Yellow Marabou Blood Quills are pretty good too

Measure the same length as the brown that is already tied down.

With the brown tied down add the yellow right on top.

Yellow secured on top of the brown.

I tie in one hank of three strands and fold it over to the opposite side .

Measuring to tie in the length of the tail

Before adding the last marabou feather tie in three strands of Krystal flash on either side.

Brown on top to create an awesome shade to this tail.

All three marabou feathers tied down.

After the flash comes the last feather of marabou for the tail.

MFC Barred Schlappen feathers yellow/black

Feather prepped to be tied in.

Enter the schlappen to be prepped and tied in on either side. Tie in the schlappen feather at the tip to give this fly a taper from back to front.

Hareline Medium Cactus Chenille Root Beer color.

I strip the chenille the length of the body to avoid bumps when tying down.

Our main body wrap for this fly is Cactus Chenille tied in on the side following the schlappen feather.

Hareline Barred Round Rubber Legs yellow/black

I tie in two strands and then using thread wraps get them to flare in four different directions.

With the chenille and schlappen feather hanging reward tie in some round rubber legs. When tying these in. Try and keep them flared in all directions.

Wrap the chenille forward and capture behind the eye. Follow by open palmering the schlappen feathers forward.

Recipe:

• Hook: Firehole 811 2 – 10
• Weight: Lead Wire .015 – .020
• Bead: Brass Cone Copper
• Thread: UTC 140 Dark Brown
• Tail: Marabou Brown and Yellow
• Underbody: Medium Cactus Chenille Root Beer
• Hackle: MFC Barred Schlappen Black and Yellow
• Legs: Hareline Round Rubber Barred Black and Yellow