I quit! I can't seem to tie a fly today. Can't tell you how much deer and elk hair is in the trash can. Everything is just exploding on me. I did tie one little one on a size 16 hook using the kids craft feathers instead of hair. Once again, if my phone decides to work right I'll post the pic.

You know, I thought they looked cunningly simple. Maybe the name really comes from the folks who had to tie those 50,000 that they sold back in the day. Or agreements made in order to be able to tie them....

I am gonna try when I get home. Might get a bit Blair Witch, we shall see.

I'm gonna have to give up for today too. Using Ultra 140 thread got more flaring. Then I covered it with the brown Uni. Number four looked half decent. Tied it on a #8 nymph hook. It passed the float test in a small bowl of water. Then it jumped into the in-sink-erator. Doh!

If you think you have enough hair, add more. The ID of my stacker is 7/16". Loosly packed, it was close to giving the #8 the correct plumpiness.

I could be wrong but try using that deer hair that you could not use for spinning at all because it would not flair.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

Do we need to moderate our humble moderator for inciting such discontent?

No, let's take deep breaths and move on through the barriers and come out the other side better edjumacated - we will all know why its called the Devils Bug at the end.

bwah hahahahahahahah

Getting closer. Number five on a #8 3906. Still need to figure out the wings. Perhaps they should be added after the tail is lashed down. I need to remember not to make the tail too long. Also need to watch a few deer hair trimming vids.

Another good trick is to trim the butts of the hair before tying it up front. Makes it easier to tie both the front and rear.

I have one that has a good head (broke out the razor blade) and i'm going to test it out on grapevine sandbass im my 'yak.

So, did anyone ever find the pattern for this fly?

I found it in two books and both them are the same. The body is chenille and the deer hair is tied in at the back so it forms the tail, then laid down on top of the hook and tied off at the front of the fly so that it flairs out. Trim the hair in front and you're done.

Both of the books show a fly that is much simpler looking than the link. Neither of them show the "wing" looking sides.

The books are "Tying Warmwater Flies" by C. Boyd Pfeiffer and "Flies for Bass & Panfish" by Stewart and Allen.

Have fun,
Rex

I found the same as you Rex, I believe the one everyone is lusting over is the commercial version made in the 1930's & 40's


this one has round eyes (possibly from pin heads?)
while this one (possibly manfct'd by Eppinger Co.) has eyes painted on.

it looks fairly straight forward...secure stcked deerhair to hook shank letting it flare at head & trimmed...its tough to handle that much deer hair at once...I tied one & the results pretty much sucked...I might try again (I have this goal of making replicas of all famous/important/noteworthy bass bugs ie; Henshall Bug, Messenger Frog, Tapps Bug, etc etc, this one fits in with that goal.

Now those flies look a lot cooler that what I found. They're more complicated too.

Thanks,
Rex

On the old commercially produced one I have, the wings are just some of the hair snipped by the back band. Might be a better way, but this one was

Here is another story about the Devil Bug.

I just noticed the name Tuttle, and sent the box picture and prior article to a co-worker with that name.