Nymph · #162 of 382

Zug Bug

Imitates: Caddis pupa, mayfly nymph, and general buggy nymphs

How to Rig It

Point fly in a traditional nymph rig or swung at the end of the drift like a soft hackle.

Dead-drift deep through riffles, then let it swing and lift at the end.

The peacock body, wing case, and soft hackle all suggest life. It is buggy without being specific, which makes it work on many rivers.

Invented by Cliff Zug in Pennsylvania in the 1930s, the Zug Bug became a standard wet/nymph crossover pattern across the country.

Fish it on the swing too. A lot of trout eat the Zug Bug when it starts to rise at the end of the drift.

Is the Zug Bug a nymph or wet fly?+

It is usually fished as a nymph, but it absolutely works when swung like a wet fly.

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