Streamer
Woolly Bugger
Trout · Char · Brook trout · Marble trout · CarpDeep
The universal streamer. Marabou tail pulses with every twitch. Fish bigger, heavier and slower in cold coloured water; smaller and swung in summer.
Naturals it imitates
sculpin
leech
general baitfish
Variants
Black
Olive
Brown
White
Crystal
Beadhead
Rubber-leg
Egg-sucking
Thin Mint
Choosing a colour
Starting points, not rules — depth, presentation and size usually matter more.
Black at dawn, dusk, under cloud, or in stained water. Olive and brown where damsels, leeches or crayfish are the natural food. White or silver for pale baitfish and bright conditions. Chartreuse or yellow are worth trying in dirty water — dark streamers are especially useful in low light.
Typical zone & fishable range
usually
Surface
Film
Subsurface
Deep
Setup sensitivity: high
How it sits in the water
On a floating line it fishes high; on a sink-tip it gets down fast. Adjust weight of fly and line together to hit the depth you want.
How it's usually fished
- Swung on a sink-tipDeepCast across, mend, swing through holding water.sink-tip lineshort leaderconehead fly
- Stripped on a floaterSubsurfaceSummer technique: cast tight to the bank and strip back with short pulls.floating lineunweighted9ft leader
Size by condition
| default range | 6–10 |
| high water | 4–6 with cone |
| low water | 10–12 unweighted |
Similar flies
Included in packs
Streamer searchReservoir luresStreamers & deep poolsDeep & bottomDeep & streamerTrophy streamerLures & bottom flies