“BUGLIKE” FLY COMPANY

‘Buglike” Fly Company started in the 70’s.  I have been fly fishing since I was 14 years old.  Being 73, that’s almost 60 years. My father bought my first fly rod from a friend who brought it along on a day of fishing with us.  Growing up, I learned how to cast by watching others and a lot of practicing.

            We used cork poppers to catch bluegills on all the lakes around Indiana.  They took a beating as we knocked them against the gunwale of boats.  Then a bait came out called the Michigan spider. They were made of sponge with rubber legs.  They were black, yellow, orange and green with white legs.  They were good and lasted a long time until they start making them in China.  The sponge slipped down the shank of the hook onto the working end of the hook and no fish could be hooked and the legs came out.

            I saw an article in a fishing magazine saying, sponge spiders could be made out of flip flop shoes.  The hardest thing to master was getting a good, neat body out of the shoe.  The “Buglike” spider was developed as soon as the body was successfully cut out of the flip flop.  The body is now anchored to the eye of the hook to prevent the body from sliding.  The legs are sewn into the body, glued and tied so the legs don’t come out.

            They were a success and my friends and I enjoyed using them.  They were never for sale until a friend, who also tied, told a sport store we could make them for him.  So- we were in business.  We still have sporting good stores that still order from us.

An Indiana basketball fan asked me to sell him 10 spider baits to send to Coach Bob Knight. Bob Knight used the baits and really liked them.  Bob Knight called me and requested three dozen orange baits with white legs.  He told me that my baits were the best baits in the world.  You can have imagined how great that made me feel.  In lieu of money for the baits, I requested an autographed picture.  He sent that, an I.U. hat, a tee shirt and an invitation to come to Assembly Hall for a basket ball game as his guest. At a basketball practice I met him and discussed what other baits I could make.  With his help, I developed the Grasshopper/cricket bait.  Norm Ellenberger called them “The Terminator”.  I have been invited every year since then to go fly-fishing with him and his friends.

            Poppers made out of sponge, were also developed.  These spiders, hoppers and poppers are now available to YOU.  All types of fish can be caught on these baits.  If a fish will hit a floating bait, he’ll hit these, (bass, trout, bluegills etc.)  There is no limit to the color or combination of colors of bodies that can be achieved.  Legs can be any color.  The “Bob Knight” spider collection is black, orange, yellow and green.  All baits are size 12 hooks.  If you want a smaller or larger hook, we can do that.

“Bug Like” spiders baits come in many colors: black, yellow, orange, green, red, white, blue, aqua, purple, brown, gray, brown, olive, and even pink.

Baits are also two tone: black/brown, red/white, yellow/orange, black/yellow, black/red,

Black/orange

Due to the color of flip flops, baits can be striped with multiple colors.  The availability is hard to list or describe.  If you want to order one of these, just ask for a basic color and I will ship it to you with your option of returning. 

Legs;  are white, black, red, orange, yellow, brown, green, chartreuse, gray, light green.

Hoppers: colors are; brown, black, yellow, green, olive.

What color should I use?

All colors will attract bluegills, bass, etc.; it’s the movement.  I’ve used a red, white and blue one on the fourth of July and caught fish.  Generally, bright colored baits for sunny days and darker baits for dark days and at night.

A good friend of mine always used an aqua spider with chartreuse legs.  I now call that bait “the D.A.,” not that he was a district attorney, his name was Don Ayers.  While using a D.A., I caught a 4 ½ pound bass on a 6 ½ foot rod while fishing with him.  He never forgot the experience.

Removing the bait from a fish

 Always use forceps or long needle nosed pliers.  It’s amazing how deep the bait can be in a bluegill’s mouth.  Don’t forget the bait is made of foam and easily torn.  Using a forceps-like tool will prevent damage to the bait.  Fishermen have reported catching 75 fish on a bait.

“Bug Like” Fly Company also makes dry flies, nymphs, streamers, cone-heads, etc. We tie flies like the royal wulff, the elk hair caddis and various baits.  These baits are not made in foreign countries.  When you see one of these baits you will never purchase one from China again.  There is more hackle and substance to our baits.  They will bounce down a riffle and stay afloat with just a little flotation substance added.  Rainbow trout, and artic grayling go nuts when they see this bait float over them.  If you want to try one of these, let us know and we will send you a sample.  All our baits are the same price.

You don’t have to have a fly rod to get in the fun of catching a fish on the surface.  You can use a spinning rod and a bubble to achieve the same goal.  Tie a clear bubble-like float to your spinning rod.  Tie a piece of monofilament line about 3 feet long and tie a “Bug Like” bait to the end of that.  The bubble will allow you to get the bait over a bluegill bed; be ready to set the hook, it won’t take long to have some action.  (A bluegill bed occurs in the spring when the fish are nesting.  You will see small craters in shallow water with fish hovering over them.  The fish are ferocious and will hit anything that comes near their area.)

            Spiders may be seen and purchased at J.L. Waters in Bloomington.  Dealers are invited to request quotes; minimum orders and shipping required.

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