Overview

The Straggle Leech carries the name of Canadian stillwater authority Brian Chan and is tied by Montana Fly Company. It is a bead-head leech built in the Woolly Bugger family, with a soft marabou tail and a straggle chenille body whose long, mobile fibers stick out and pulse in the water.

Leeches live in nearly every lake and many rivers, and trout eat them year-round. The straggle body gives this fly a buggy, translucent outline and movement even on a slow retrieve, while the bead adds weight and a bit of attraction up front. It works on a stripped line, under an indicator and even on a long nymphing rod in rivers.

Euro Specs

• Hook: Standard streamer/nymph style, not a jig.
• Role: Point fly on a stillwater or river nymph rig, or fished alone on the strip.

How to Fish It

• Slow strip in lakes: on a floating or intermediate line, use slow, steady strips or a hand-twist over shoals and along drop-offs.
• Under an indicator: hang it just off the bottom; wind chop makes the marabou and straggle fibers move.
• In rivers: swing or strip it through runs, or fish it on a long nymphing rod as the point fly.
• All season: leeches are available year-round, so it is a reliable fly from ice-off to late fall.

Choosing Color and Size

Black gives the strongest silhouette for low light and stained water. Black / Hot Orange Bead adds a bright hot spot that can trigger strikes from following fish. Dark Olive Green and Olive are natural leech colors for clear water and weedy shoals.

All colors are size 10, a good all-around leech size for trout.