I just enjoy fishing deer hair bugs for smallmouth bass. I feel I’m following the standards which Ray Bergman and H.G. Tapply developed over 50 years ago.
When the rivers get low in the summer, I go to my deer hair bugs because I can cast these further than the same size popper. I wade slowly upstream and shoot my hair bugs tight against the shaded banks. A gentle line hand sliding bug-action often brings strikes from the largest bass.
At dusk I have great success with my hair bugs in the 1-3 feet deep tails of the pool when the smallmouth move out to chase the minnows. I wade this very cautiously and fan my bugs over all of the water I can reach.
There are many styles, shapes, and colors of hair bugs. They are very effective but many also find these harder to tie.
Effective Deer Hair Bugs for Bass
- Mouserat
- Dahlberg Diving Bug
- Murray’s Floating Minnow
- Murray’s Frisky Frog
- Shenandoah Hair Popper
- Tapply Bug
- Mini Mouse
Learn to fly fish. Each summer we conduct Full Day Fly Fishing Schools and Half Day Fly Fishing Lessons. Fly rod and reel outfits are provided for the classes. For more information and to register, see our website.