In the fly fishing industry today, new products a rising and some falling quicker than most can keep up. New fads roll in and roll out, some stick, as they absolutely should due to having a place within today's industry...glass rods, synthetic tying materials, etc.
With companies and individuals pushing the limits of what the sport can do, from catching a 27lb carp on a Tenkara rod to sticking Mako sharks on a SUP, the industry changes monthly. When one of these changes or emergences of something new make a ripple within the industry, most know about it through the advent of blogs or their Facebook New Feed.
A few months back, some of us learned about something new, different, potentially revolutionary...Bozeman Fly Goods Bug Collars, a way to add style and weight to your self-tied bugs through functionality and ingenuity. When I first heard about Bugs Collars, I honestly didn't know what to think. Was this going to be a fad? Was this a product that caught more fisherman/tiers than it did fish? I had a lot of questions, and fortunately, I was privileged to get my hands on some Collars due to the extreme generosity of BFG, to answer these questions.
So what exactly are Bug Collars you ask? Well, its pretty simple. Bug Collars are just that, small rings, intended to collar your hook at some point on the pattern to not only add color and style, but functionality through added weight (idea for deeper nymphs or streamers) without the added bulk of an additional bead on the bug or lead on the line. Bug Collars, through their various sizes, flush up to whichever size bead you may be using to maintain a fluidity, again without the bulk.
The first run of Bug Collars were released in popular colors and sizes, some ideally catch fish, others to catch fisherman. Since the initial release, more colors and sizes have been added, giving any fisherman/tier plenty of options. And with the creativity of modern tiers, there are quite literally no limits. On to the review...
My initial impression was that of excitement. For those of you who have followed TLTFF for some time, or follow me on social media, you know I'm a progressive and modern fisherman...from my colorful reels, to crazy colored outfits, to giving the newest products a try. When the BFG Bug Collars came out of the box, I had to get to the vise, ASAP. With a plethora of colors and sizes in front of me, I honestly didn't know where to start. I figured the best place would be right with the fundamentals, some goto patterns that the Bug Collars could "choke" and add a little pizzaz to. Wooly Bugger...boom. (Disclaimer: Its been awhile since I tied freshwater bugs, salt has been the name of the game for the last couple of months).
The style and creativity that can come out of this product's possibilities are unreal. Some of the most creative brains within the tying industry right now have been able to put their hands on these as well, and its pretty amazing...
Via Pat Cohen aka @rusuperfly
Via @wycoflyco
Via JP Lipton aka @roughfisher
Via Matt Ebbers aka @ebbsforce1
Each pack contains 25 collars and they range in size from 2.5mm all the way up to 5.5mm. There are over 25 different colors available thanks to four different categories of colors: Metallic, Fluorescent, Painted and Plated (shown clockwise from top left below with blue as an example color).
The price is insane, possibly some of the most affordable tying materials you can find. The collars range from $3.50-$6.00 depending on size and style. Even for the most expensive pack at $6.00, your paying less than a quarter per collar. A steal.
The only complaint I had was the absence of a UV product in the lineup. Although there is Fluorescent, that is based off the color palate rather than light spectrum. UV colors have been proven time and time again to increase hookups due to the UV portion of the light spectrum being more visible to fish. I would love to see these in the near future and think they would be a huge benefit to the lineup and patterns their tied into.
With all things considered, from price to functionality, style to versatility, its time to rate Bozeman Fly Goods Bug Collars! It was not difficult to judge this one, as there was only the one complaint about the absence of UV collars, BFG Bug Collars received 4.75 out of 5 stars. Remember the ripples I was talking about in the beginning of the post? Yea, this is one of those ripples. Anyone who ties, or is looking to add something new to their Fall patterns or help get them through another winter full of cabin fever, this is your answer, plain and simple.
A huge thank you goes out to Bozeman Fly Goods for making this review happen and even more importantly for putting out such an amazing and forward-thinking product. Be sure to check out BFG on their website, where you can purchase your own Collars, on their Facebook page, and on Instagram! Oh, and don't forget to "Choke Your Bug".
Boom...Morgan
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