One of the oldest American wet fly patterns, the Woolly Worm predates the Woolly Bugger by decades. The palmered hackle over a chenille body suggests a caterpillar, stonefly nymph, or leech depending on how it's fished.
1. Thread base — Attach black thread behind the eye and build a base to the bend.
2. Tail — Tie in a short, sparse bunch of red dubbing or a few red hackle fibers at the bend (optional).
3. Hackle prep — Tie in a grizzly hackle by the tip at the bend, dull side rearward.
4. Body — Tie in a length of olive chenille at the bend. Wind forward in tight, touching turns to just behind the eye. Tie off.
5. Palmer hackle — Wind the grizzly hackle forward over the body in open spirals. Tie off behind the eye and trim the excess. The hackle fibers should splay out evenly.
6. Head — Build a smooth, tapered head. Whip finish and apply head cement.
hook
thread
tail
body
hackle
