That Ol' Chestnut

By GAT.

Description

I have used this fly so long I started calling it That Ol' Chestnut. It has fooled more species of fish than any of my other Woolly Buggers. I can't say enough about this pattern so I'll stop now.

Tying Process

Note: everyone in my group carries the Chestnut when fishing trout lakes. There is a variation that John came up with that uses a grizzly hackle instead of a black one and sometimes, the fish prefer the difference. As a result, I carry both styles of Chestnut and as I always fish two patterns at a time in still waters, sometimes I'll one style for the upper pattern and the other for the lower. You wouldn't think the hackle it would make a huge difference but sometimes it does. Speaking of hackle, some of the guys use the softer saddle hackle for their WBs but I like the stiffer dry fly grade hackle. I think it gives a pattern a different silhouette with the spikey feather.

Materials

• Bead: Gold metal
• Body: Variegated olive/black chenille
• Hackle: Black wet or dry fly quality
• Ribbing: gold wire
• Tail: Black marabou

Hooks

• Your choice for Woolly Buggers

Fly types: Jig, Streamer, Wet Fly