Overview

Designed by Umpqua signature tyer Brandon Mena, the Slider Bugger came from his search for a larger sculpin fly that sinks well, moves erratically and still casts easily.

It combines a bugger-style body and tail with a deer hair slider head, oversized lead eyes, slightly oversized hackle and rubber legs. The flat-faced head pushes water and creates turbulence, while the lead eyes pull the fly down to where sculpins live, on the bottom. At about 3 inches on a size 2 hook, it is a good sculpin size for many Rocky Mountain rivers, and it has action whether you dead drift it or strip it.

How to Fish It

• Strip and pause: work it along the bottom with short, erratic strips and pauses, like a sculpin darting between rocks.
• Dead drift: it also fishes well dead drifted through deep runs, where the hackle and legs keep moving.
• Lines: a floating line handles shallow water and banks. Use a sink-tip in deeper, faster runs.
• Leader: a short, stout leader of 0X to 2X helps turn over a heavy fly and stand up to aggressive takes.

Choosing Color and Size

Olive Ginger is a natural sculpin color for clear and lightly stained water. White reads as a baitfish and stands out in off-color water and low light.

Both colors come in size 2, about 3 inches long, a good fit for trout in medium to large rivers and for bass.