February 2026 Sunriver Scene - Flipbook - Page 20
Fly Tying Corner: Complex twist bugger
Complex Twist Bugger
Materials List
Hook: Firehole 718, size 8-10, or Daiichi 1710, size 6-8
Thread: Ultra 210 Denier in black or olive
Weight: 3/16’s gold conehead and 10 wraps 0.25 lead wire
Tail: Marabou in fiery brown topped by medium olive
Flash: 5-6 strand olive Krystal Flash
Body: Medium olive chenille, UV Polar Flash – dark
olive and whiting grizzly dyed olive Schlappen tied in a
complex twist
Collar: Whiting Coq de Leon Hen Cape in speckled
brown or natural pardo
Tying Instructions:
Tying instructions and steps are in video form and
can be found on the Sunriver Anglers web page at www.
sunriveranglers.org/fly-tying-corner, on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/SunriverAnglers/, or at the following
YouTube at https://youtu.be/9RHX0TxMf-k.
By Phil Fischer
It is that time of year when
I look outside my fly-tying
studio and see the first signs of
winter, finally. It is a great time
to sit down and tie flies to fill
boxes for the upcoming season.
In that spirit, I have been busy.
For this month’s column, I
decided to feature the Complex
Twist Bugger. I have fished this
pattern for a couple years and
know it works.
The profile of this pattern
moves a lot of water when
fished. And I know some of
those large brown trout in
lakes and reservoirs such as
East, Paulina and Wickiup are
impressed with this fly.
It imitates chubs on several
of our local lakes or, if it is tied
in a smaller size, large dragonfly
nymphs that large brown trout
feast upon. It is also enticing
to immature smallmouth bass
in Lake Billy Chinook that
capture the attention of those
big bull trout.
This pattern is not your usual
wooly bugger. I tie it with a
conehead and numerous wraps
of lead-free wire to get the
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fly to quickly sink. It offers a
two-toned marabou tail, with
fiery brown topped with olive
marabou and framed with
some Krystal Flash.
The body is tied with three
materials: medium olive chenille, UV Polar Flash in dark
olive, and a grizzly dyed olive
Schlappen feather.
Schlappen is a feather of the
saddle of a rooster that is not
quite saddle hackle, and not
quite tail, but is something
in between. It features long
webby fibers that are perfect
for wooly buggers or complex
twist buggers.
These three materials are tied
on together and then wound
to create the complex twist. I
take a dubbing brush to comb
everything to create the buggy
profile of this pattern. Lastly, it
features a collar of a Whiting
Coq De Leon cape hen feather
in speckled brown. This collar gives the fly character and
substance.
Try tying this pattern as an
alternative to your usual wooly
bugger pattern and fish it during the upcoming season on
your favorite Central Oregon
lake or river. I think you will
like it. One of the cool things
about this fly, is experimenting and adapting the materials
and colors to invent your own
version of the Complex Twist
Bugger.
If you have questions or
would like additional information about the Complex Twist
Bugger fly pattern, please email
me. Or, if you have suggestions
on future patterns to feature
in this column, I welcome
your input. I can be emailed at
Philfischer@sbcglobal.net
Sunriver Anglers Pie & Tie
By Rynie Miyashiro
The Sunriver Anglers invite
anyone interested in learning
about fly fishing to attend its
annual Pie and Tie meeting.
Doors open at 4:15 p.m. and
the meeting starts at 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 4 at SHARC.
Guests are encouraged to bring
a few dollars for the monthly
bucket raffle and the equipment swap.
The social meeting showcases
the club’s best fly tyers who
will tie their favorite flies while
guests enjoy pie.
The tentative list of guest tyers include Pat Chambers, Phil
Fischer, Steve Lichtenberger,
John Olschewsky and Steve
Savill. It is truly an honor to
host this incredible lineup.
There will be a presenta-
tion on places to fish, fishing
regulations, upcoming projects,
meetings and outings. Club
members love to share their
fishing stories.
This year, members are adding an equipment swap where
members can bring a few items
to swap, barter, sell or give
away. It’s free to attend the
meeting.
For information, visit
SunriverAnglers.org
Call us today to customize a schedule right for you!
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Page 20
FEBRUARY 2026 SUNRIVER SCENE
