How to tie the Feather-Fibre Buzzer Stillwater Fly
Although during the early part of the season trout take huge numbers of buzzer pupae close to the lake bed, as the water warms, the fish will tend to feed closer to the surface. As the pupae begin to migrate toward the surface, en masse, the top two or three feet provide the main feeding zone, making larger, heavier pupa imitations, which sink very quickly, far less effective.
During this period patterns tied on mediumweight hooks with a body of feather fibre — so that they can still be fished slowly without plummeting to the bottom — work best.
While black is still an effective colour, paler hues such as brown and olive become increasingly important, mirroring the colour of the naturals. The size, too, also reduces, a size 12 or even 14 being more productive than the size 10 used earlier in the season.
Tied in olive, this Feather-Fibre Buzzer is a great pattern from June onwards. It is tied with a slim body of dyed-olive pheasant tail with a touch of colour provided by a dubbed orange thorax plus wing buds formed from orangey-brown goose biots cut to shape.
Hook Size 12-14 medium weight widegape
Thread Olive Breathing filaments
White antron yarn Rib Fine silver wire
Body Dyed-olive pheasant tail Wing
buds Orangey-brown goose biots
Thorax Orange seal’s fur or substitute
Thorax cover Dyed-olive pheasant tail
1. Position the hook in the vice to allow easy access. Run the tying thread down the shank in close turns before catching in a length of white antron yarn and two inches of silver wire.
2. At the same point catch in a bunch of dyed-olive pheasant tail fibres by its tip. Then, using close turns of tying thread, cover the waste ends of the yarn and wire.
3. Carry the thread back up to the eye until three-quarters of the shank has been covered. These turns of thread form an even base for the body. Remove any excess yarn with scissors.
4. With the tying thread positioned a short distance from the eye, take hold of the pheasant tail fibres and begin winding them along the hook. Ensure that the turns do not overlap.
5. Continue to wind the fibres until a slim abdomen has been formed. Secure the loose ends with thread before winding on evenly spaced turns of silver wire. Remove the excess wire and feather.
6. Cover the exposed ends of wire and feather then select a second bunch of dyed-olive feather fibre twice as thick as the first. Catch it in by its tips, just in front of the abdomen.
7. Take two goose biots dyed an orangey-brown. Trim the ends round so that they approximate to the shape of the real pupa’s wing buds. Catch one in either side of the abdomen.
8. Secure the biots in position so that they sit slightly beneath the abdomen. Remove the waste ends with scissors and build a neat base with further turns of thread.
9. Take a second length of white antron yarn twice as thick as the one used for the tail breathers. Catch it in so that it projects well over the eye of the hook.
10. Select a small pinch of orange fur and dub it on to the tying thread to form a thin rope. Wind it over the butts of the antron yarn to produce a short, pronounced thorax.
11. Divide the yarn into two bunches of equal size. Holding the pheasant tail fibres draw them over the back of the thorax so that they sit in the gap between the bunches of yarn.
12. Secure the pheasant tail fibres at the eye and remove the excess. Cast off the thread with a whip finish before trimming the yarn at both the head and tail.
WHERE, WHEN & HOW TO FISH
W H E R E
When trout are taking buzzer pupae close to the surface it is important to use an imitation which doesn’t sink too quickly. Tied on a light hook with a body of feather fibre, this pattern can be fished slowly and steadily only a foot or two beneath the surface.
W H E N
From late May onwards, when the fish start to feed consistently just below the surface. During a hatch of buzzer, watch for a rise where the fish doesn’t actually break the surface. This is a sure sign the fish are taking buzzer pupae less than a foot down.
H O W
On a floating line and mediumlength leader of 12 ft-15 ft. Fished as part of a team, the pattern should be retrieved very slowly, allowing the line simply to drift around on the breeze.
T Y I N G T I P
Use only three or four strands of feather fibre so that the body remains nice and slim.