Ice dub bugger baitfish

In 1988 my oldman presented me with my first fly rod and reel combo set after completing  3 months basic training up at 5SAI & I still remember the first fish I ever caught with it as if it was yesterday. An 87cm Springer (Ladyfish) off the sandbanks around by the container terminal in Durban harbour. I hadn't a feckin clue what I was doing, and my sheer lack of skills allowed it to open up a big can of whip ass on me, stripping all 27m of fly line plus 30m of backing off the reel before I managed to turn the odds in my favour and landed it.. The harbour provided me with a large expanse of water in close proximity to my home that I could regularly visit and hone my skills on , and in all honesty is probably the reason why I've always had more of an affinity towards chucking fluff at saltwater species over fresh water.

                                                      Ice dub bugger baitfish
Anyway the rather crudely tied fly that I caught it with, had.....If I can remember it correctly, similar design qualities to a white chenille Chrystal flash bugger commonly called a "Salty Bugger". You'll still find one tucked away in practically every saltwater fly fisherman's box over here, being the effective fly that it is. The thing is though, I'm personally not a big fan of having a lot of bling (Flashy materials) dressed onto my saltwater flies and crystal pearl chenille, being one of the main ingredients of the Salty Bugger, puts me off fishing with this fly altogether. So I replaced the chenille with some of my "Cookies & Cream" Ice dub Blend which to me has not only given the fly a better profile in the water, but also given it more of a darker natural appearance with just the right amount of glint along its flanks.

                                                                         Step 1
Slide a 3,6 mm Tungsten bead down to the hook eye of a "Size 6 Octopus hook". Then take an inch long clump of Tan strung Marabou and tie onto the back near the bend.

 

Step 2

 Twist Slab slayer "Cookies & Cream" Ice dub along the thread and then proceed to wrap evenly along the hook shank up to the Tungsten bead.

                                                                         Step 3

Whip finish and add a generous blob of head cement over the tie off point. Then take a strip of velcro and brush the Ice dub strands back towards the tail. I fish this fly fast in both the surf and in the harbour and is light enough for it to be trailed behind a flipper.

Materials
Thread: 12/0 white Nano Silk
Slab slayer ice dub:  Cookies & Cream
3.6mm Tungston bead
Hook: Size 6 Octopus
Species caught with this fly:
Big eye Trevally, One spot snapper, Sand Gurnard, Springer, Rainbow Trout, Small mouth Bass