The ubiquitous Woolly Bugger, never quite spelled correctly to my eyes, appeals to the eyes of every gamefish imaginable. If I had one pattern to fish the rest of my life, no matter what the fish, no matter what the conditions, this would be it. Steelhead, Trout, Salmon, Bass, Shad, Pike, you name it, they will hit this pattern. And the best thing? Usually the fish will be bigger than average, the strikes harder than average, and the action better than average.

The origins of the Woolly Bugger can be traced back to the Old English pattern the Woolly Worm, which is also a very effective pattern. Most credit Russell Blessing with the actual invention of the Woolly Bugger in the early 1970