Last week, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions offered a primer on how to trim spun deer hair, and today’s pattern is a classic bass bug on which you can try these skills. Tap’s Bug was the creation of H.G. “Tap” Tapply, who wrote the “Tap’s Tips” column in Field & Stream for more than 30 years. He passed his love of fishing topwater bugs for bass to his son William G. Tapply, who wrote the book Bass Bug Fishing. He shared his firm beliefs about the sport in a wonderful essay called “Bass-Bug Humbug.”
In this great video, Tim demonstrates a straightforward, no-frills method for tying and trimming a Tap’s Bug, which is really just bucktail and spun deer-body hair. It’s genius is its simplicity. If you want to see a true deer-hair master at work, check out this profile of Pat Cohen, who creates wondrous and complicated patterns,
Tap’s Bug
Hook: Bass-bug hook (here a Gamakatsu B10S), size 4.
Thread: White G.S.P., 130-denier.
Tail: Yellow bucktail.
Adhesive #1: Superglue, here Fly Tyers Z-Ment.
Body: Yellow deer-body hair, spun and trimmed.
Adhesive #2: Head cement, here Sally Hansen Hard-as-Nails.
Adhesive #3: Flexible Body Adhesive, here Exo Flex.
Tools: Flea comb, hair-packing implement, whip finisher, large, straight-blade scissors, large curved-blade scissors, double-edge razor, fine-tipped tying scissors, paint brush.
Note: Tie the pattern in any colors you like. Popular options are black, white, red-and-white, green, and chartreuse.
Credit: Source link
