Many years ago while surfing web pages to find something interesting to tie, I found the phrase “killer bug” and was intrigued. I’ve continued these internet searches and found pattern descriptions and a lot of rave reviews and assurances such as, “the best fly I ever tried”, “it is already of my top producers” etc.

Frank Sawyer, the author of the “killer bug” pattern, used Chadwick 477 yarn. There is a common belief that it is the yarn color that makes the killer bug so effective and this is definitely a case of “magic material”. I had never seen Chadwick's 477 yarn. I visited a yarn shop hoping to find something like it, but failed. Eventually, I discovered a unique material source: an old woolen sock I found in a bag of old clothes intended for disposal by my wife. I made a couple of flies, tested them, and on the first fishing day I joined the crowd of fans of the killer bug for the years. Later, in the “tenkara age”, I mutated these bugs to “kebari killers” with partridge or pheasant feather soft hackle.

When I moved to Prague I left my lovely yarn source far away, in Russia. Fortunately, very nice looking Jameson Oyster yarn is available now at Chris Stewart’s site and he kindly sent me a little skein of wool in exchange for a small amount of money. Also, being impressed by Eric Ostander’s kebari killer tied with “sexy” pink wire and pink thread, I visited the nearest flyfishing shop for these components, but failed with the wire. As it often happens, the absence of the desired results in a familiar place follows to the new discoveries: I’ve found a source for the beautiful colored wire at the beads store Koralky.cz , 5 m for 14CZK~0,7USD~0,56 EUR.

Kebari killer "old material"

Kebari killer "new material"

After April 15, when the river fishing season began, I fished many times with the old and new kebari killers to compare them. I can definitely say now that the new Jamieson's Oyster Yarn is also effective and even a little magical.

Hook: TMC2499SP BLB or Knapek G #14 or 12

Thread: pink  6/0 UNI

Hackle: partridge natural

Underbody: pink 0,3 mm wire

Body: Jameson Shetland spindrift yarn, oyster 290 color

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