The Roamer is a baitfish pattern created by Jake Villwock, and it has become a favorite among anglers looking for a fly that pushes water, moves naturally, and catches fish. Plus, it just looks cool.

At first glance it looks complicated, but once you break it down into a handful of simple steps, it’s a surprisingly easy fly to tie. Between the bucktail, hackle feathers, and laser dub, the Roamer creates a realistic profile with tons of movement in the water. 

Here’s how to tie them up:

Roamer Materials

Roamer Tying Steps

Secure Lead Wraps

Adding lead wraps to the bend of the hook “keels” the fly and helps it swim properly. Without it, the fly has more of a tendency to spin around in the water column and even swim upside down. It only takes a minute or so to add and is beneficial to getting the consistent action we’re looking for.

Depending on the size of your hook, throw on about 6 wraps of lead. I like .025 or .030 as a starting point for larger flies and .020 on smaller Roamers. A little UV resin really helps hold the wire in place, but you can also just lash it down with a bunch of thread wraps.

Wrap the led somewhere around the start of the hook bend. Too far down the hook may affect hooksets, which we certainly don’t want!

I have only started these lead wraps in the last year or so and am now a believer- it really does help the fly swim better more consistently and add it to pretty much any baitfish-style fly I tie.

Tie in Bucktail + Flash

Grab a sparse section of bucktail and tie it in as the core of the tail. This adds a little bit of contrast if you use a different color, but more importantly it acts as a “rudder” to our upcoming hackle feathers. The stiff bucktail helps hold those saddles in line and prevents fouling.

The little bit of flash here helps accentuate the fly. Tie in as much or as little as you’d like here, depending on your preferences. In general, I like about 2-3 strands on most patterns. I’ll tie in more if I really want a flashy pattern, but generally keep it pretty natural.

Tie in Hackle Feathers

The hackle feathers will act as our tail. Grab 2-3 hackle feathers and tie them in on each side of the fly.

This part can be a little annoying. Hackle feathers tend to spin on the hook because you usually are trying to tie a round stem on a round hook. But we have a fix for that.

As you’ve tied in the bucktail, you’ve created a little “bump.” This bump actually provides a great spot to tie in hackle feathers. It has a flatter base, which helps prevent the spinning of the hackle feathers.

As you tie in the hackle feathers, make sure you start on this little nub. Loose wraps also help a lot. Don’t try to crank down on the stems immediately!

More Bucktail (Surround Shank) + Flash

Grab another hunk of bucktail and surround the hook shank with it. Measure it so the bucktail goes about halfway the length of the hackle feathers. This helps blend the profile of the Roamer for a more realistic look. 

It’s important here to make sure the bucktail totally surrounds the hook shank. Push it around and take your time here. We want an even blending of the profile, otherwise it can look chopped off and unnatural. You may have to mess around with it for a minute, but as long as it’s mostly covered, you’re in a good spot.

Wrap Polar Chenille

A handful of wraps with polar chenille adds a little bit of flash and body to the fly. Tie it in and wrap it until you’re a little longer than halfway down the hook shank and move onto the next step.

Add Laser Dub

A hunk of laser dub gets added here. Make sure it surrounds the shank fully- we don’t want any bare spots with this stuff.

I like to split the hunk down the middle and pinch it on both sides. Push it over the eye of the hook as you get to your tying spot. This will help make sure that everything is surrounded nice and cleanly.

After you tie that in, give it a few brushes and you’ll be ready to move on.

Reverse Tie Bucktail

This is the trickiest part of the Roamer.

First, measure out your bucktail so it extends down a little bit past the polar chenille. Cut and trim to that length.

Then switch hands and reverse tie the bucktail. Instead of the tips facing towards the back of the fly, point them forward. Surround the hook shank with the butts and tie it in.

With an empty pen or whatever you have on hand, push the tips back and tie in the material until it lays down to about a 45 degree angle. This creates a really cool body and blending to the Roamer without much material. It takes a minute to figure out, but is worth the effort.

Flashy Throat (Optional)

This part is optional, but a flashy throat adds a nice realistic element to the Roamer. Tie some in with them all pointed down, trim to length, and you’re good!

I like to flip the vise over and tie in the throat from that direction. It’s a better view of your tie-in points and helps a little bit with consistency.

Do the fish really care about this? Who knows, but I think it looks great and only takes a second to do. So, might as well do it if you’ve got the red flash on hand.

Add Laser Dub

Last step here. Add another hunk of laser dub as the head of the fly.

As before, make sure the entire hook shank is surrounded here. I like a thicker hunk of laser dub here as it helps the Roamer swim consistently. 

After that’s tied in, brush it all out and you’ve got a Roamer!

Roamer Tips

Tie Them in Different Colors

One of the coolest things about the Roamer is how easy it is to customize. Once you get he basic recipe, you can tie them in just about any color combination you can think of.

Natural colors like olive, white, or gray and white are great starting points and imitate a wide range of forage. Don’t be afraid to experiment with brighter combinations either. White and chartreuse, black and yellow, or even all-black versions can be good depending on water conditions.

I usually keep a mix of natural and attractor colors in my box. Some days fish want something that looks exactly like a baitfish. Other days they seem to prefer a fly that simply gets their attention. So have a variety of color combos in your box and you’ll be ready for anything.

Tie Them in Different Sizes

Color isn’t the only thing worth experimenting with. The Roamer can be tied in a variety of sizes, and changing the size of the fly can change how fish respond to it.

Larger Roamers make great “hearty meal” flies. They’re easier for fish to spot, push more water, and can be a great choice when you’re targeting that big bite.

On the other hand, smaller Roamers can be excellent when fish are being picky or feeding on smaller baitfish. Sometimes a little snack is easier to convince a fish to eat! Smaller sizes are also great in low, clear water where a larger pattern may spook fish.

I like having a range of sizes in my box. If fish aren’t responding to one size, changing nothing but the profile can sometimes be all it takes to turn follows into eats.

Fishing the Roamer

The Roamer is designed to move water and create a lifelike swimming action, so don’t be afraid to let the fly do some of the work for you.

My favorite way to fish them is pretty much like any other baitfish streamer. Cast slightly upstream or across current and let the fly swing and swim naturally as it moves through the water column. Mix in a few strips here and there and don’t be afraid to dead drift it either!

Pay attention to pauses as well. Many fish eat when the fly slows down, changes direction, or simply hangs in the current. The hackle feathers, laser dub, and bucktail all come alive during those moments and give the fly a really cool, natural look.