Zug Bug

Zug Bug

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Tying Instructions

1. Wrap lead-free wire to weight the hook.

2. Secure with thread wraps over the lead wire and secure the tags.

3. Attach 5-8 Peacock Sword tips. The length of the tail past the bend should be about one half the shank length.

4. Tie in silver tinsel at the base of the tail.

5. Attach 3 strands of Peacock Herl in front of the lead wire and secure with thread wraps to the base of the tail.

6. Create a chenille with the herl by twisting the material around the thread.

7. Then wrap the chenille forward building a tapered body. Secure the herl about one eyelength behind the eye.

8. Wrap the silver tinsel forward about 3-4 wraps and secure behind the eye.

9. Select an oversized hackle. Attach the hackle by the butt just behind the eye.

10. Wrap the hackle 2-3 times and secure.

11. Trim off some of the top hackle fibers and bring them around the shank on both sides with your fingers to secure with thread wraps. Wrap the thread over the fibers to get them to sweep back toward the bend of the hook.

12. Attach a Mallard Flank feather by the stem just behind the eye.

13. Trim the feather so that its length is about to the midshank. Finish with a threaded head. Cement and Whip Finish.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	TMC 3761 #10-16
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Danville Black 6/0
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Peacock Herl
Tail	Peacock Sword Fibers
Wingcase	Dyed Mallard Flank, Wood Duck , clipped
Legs	Brown Hen Hackle
Ribbing	Oval Silver Tinsel

Zug Bug

Cliff Zug designed this fly in West Lawn, PA in the 1930’s and it became a popular fly within the Catskills. During the 1940’s, it made its way west to Yellowstone and, subsequently the Sierra, through the accolades of Arnold Gingrich within his publications and articles.

Peacock Body

Today, like the Prince Nymph, this peacock-bodied nymph continues to be one of the top ten flies on many fly fishermen’s lists. It is thought to predate the Prince Nymph. Since the Zug Bug imitates cased caddis and caddis larvae, it’s important to develop a cigar-shaped body. Utilizing lead-free wire wraps on the middle of the shank helps to promote the proper profile.

Unique to this fly is the wingcase which is only tied down at the front and gives the Zug a caddis-type wing appearance. The use of Peacock Herl for the body and Peacock Sword for the tail also gives this fly a great attraction quality. The Hen Hackle provides the appearance of emerging legs, you might substitute Partridge since it gives the pattern a soft hackle capability with plenty of movement. On slow moving streams, fish the fly near the bottom as a dead drift. The Zug also makes a very good stillwater fly, particularly as a dropper behind a leech pattern.

BH Zug Bug

Hook	TMC 3761 #10-16
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Gold Bead
Weight	0.020 Leadfree wire
Body	Peacock Herl
Tail	Peacock Sword Fibers
Wingcase	Dyed Mallard Flank, Wood Duck , clipped
Legs	Brown Hen Hackle
Ribbing	Oval Silver Tinsel