Bubble Butt Pupa

TIED BY GALE DOUDY

 

Hook
Tiemco 2488 sizes 14 & 16
Thread
Olive 8/0 or color to match
Gas Bubble
Chartreuse glass bead
Underbody
Chartreuse Flat Waxed Nylon
Overbody
Midge clear hollow tubing
Legs
Partridge or Quail hackle
Wing Pads
Black ostrich herl

 

Lefty Kreh says color doesn't matter as long as it is chartreuse.

If it ain't chartreuse it ain't no use,

 
 
 
Step 1. Insert bead onto hook. Attach thread at the bend of the hook and wrap around the bend of the hook as shown. Build a ball of thread to keep bead from sliding off hook. Whip finsh and cut thread.
Step 2. Attach thread in front of bead. Secure bead with several wraps of thread. Tie on a piece of clear tubing. Whip finish and cut off thread behind the bead.
Step 3. Attach flat waxed nylon behind the bead and build a caddis body tapering to the eye of the hook. Whip finish and cut off thread.

 

 
 
 
Step 4. Reattach 8/0 thread behind the eye. Wrap stretch tubing to 3/4 point and tie off.
Step 5. Attach soft hackle as shown by the tip.
Step 6. wrap soft hackle 1 or 2 turns, tie off and trim excess. Attach an ostrich herl by the tip.

 

 
 
Step 7. Wrap Ostrich herl several turns toward the eye. Cut of excess. Whip finish. Finished fly
Caddis pupa wet
Caddis pupa with tinsel instead of bead. John Barr style.

Photo by Ben Olson

 

Gale Doudy with lower Gunnison rainbow caught on Chartreuse Bubble Butt pupa

The Bubble Butt is a fly that has evolved over several years. We used to tie it using clear larva lace, a clear bead and hackle tips for wing pads. Midge clear tubing stretches real nice. John Barr’s technique of using ostrich for wing pads is much simpler and just as effective. I use this fly whenever I see Caddis anywhere. It deep nymphs well also. It is great as the point fly with a copper-dropper. I fish the Chartreuse in the spring through summer and then switch to tan in the fall. I feel this is a must have fly. Tiemco's 2488 hook is a 2x short shank 3x hook gap design.  Which means you can tie a size 20 fly and have a size 16 gap holding power. It is now available in 2488H, which is a heavy wire version. I really like this hook.
Gale Doudy