How to Tie Hair Bugs

Hair bugs include flies that use a majority of elk, deer or antelope hair in the fly tying process. The hair is typically spun on the hook to create a thick body pattern that floats on the surface of the water. Hair bugs are popular for bass and pike fishing -- with frog, mouse and popper style flies. Hair is also effective for tying lemming patterns that catch large trout in places like Alaska and the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Things You'll Need

  • Vise
  • 2XL streamer hook
  • 3/0 thread
  • Rabbit strip
  • Deer, elk or antelope hair
  • Black permanent marker
  • Whip finish tool
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the hook in the vise and clamp the jaws to secure it in place. Start the thread at the end of the hook by making several consecutive wraps around the tag end of the thread.

    • 2

      Cut a rabbit strip that measures two-times the length of the hook shank. Place the base end of the strip on the bend of the hook and make ten tight thread wraps to secure it in place. The rabbit strip is the tail of the fly.

    • 3

      Cut a thick chunk of hair from a patch of fur. Comb the base of the hair with your fingers to remove the soft underfur. Hold the hair on top of the hook shank with the center aligned at the thread. Make two loose thread wraps to gather the hair and four firm thread wraps to spin the hair around the hook shank. The hair will assume a wild pattern on the hook.

    • 4

      Stroke the hair fibers towards the tail with your fingers. Continue stroking the fibers until they are pointing towards the tail. Repeat the hair spinning process immediately behind the spun hair. Continue spinning hair on the hook shank, until you reach the eye of the hook.

    • 5

      Use a whip finish tool to tie seven half hitch knots at the head. Cut the thread away from the fly. Hold a razor blade flat on the bottom of the hook. Push the razor blade forward to trim it in a flat pattern. The bottom must be flat for the fly to sit on top of the water.

    • 6

      Push on each end of the razor blade to create a slight bend. Use the bend to shape a round head on the first one-third of the hook shank. Draw a small black dot on each side of the head to form an eye.