Zug Bug
By Gary Lewis
It was early morning, mid-June, under a blue sky. I knelt on the edge of a small lake looking out over a weed bed. Periodically a fish swirled beneath the surface. I knotted a #14 Zug Bug to the end of my 2 pound tippet and worked out line, setting it down gently over the weeds.
I tightened up the line, taking out some of the slack, moving the fly imperceptibly, then let it rest, slowly sinking. I watched the end of my fly line, rod tip low, crouched in the grass along the bank. The line moved, there was a swirl, a flash of color beneath the surface and I set the hook.
The Zug Bug has been fishing for quite a few years now and is still going strong. Tie it on a #10 to #14 nymph hook. Use peacock tips for the tail and peacock herl for the body ribbing with silver tinsel or wire. Use soft hackle fibers at the throat and tie in a wedge of mallard, teal, pheasant or grouse as a wing, trimming it straight across.
