New Gear: The Bugometer from Dry Fly Innovations

Not shown to scale; for illustration purposes only.

The Bugometer from Dry Fly Innovations is designed to take the guesswork out of estimating an insect’s actual size.  After figuring out what kind of bug is hatching, the two most important characteristics for an angler to identify are an insect’s color and size.  Finding the color is easy by viewing the under-belly of the specimen. But as any experienced angler will tell you, estimating an insect’s hook size can be somewhat tricky.

To use the Bugometer, you simply place the insect under the hook scales and the meter will tell you the exact length of the body in hook sizes.

Purchasers receive two Bugometers.  The first is a streamside model that you can attach to the zinger on your fishing pack or vest.  The credit-card-sized Bugometer is transparent and made of 30-mil (credit card thickness) plastic.  It’s waterproof, tear-proof, scratch-proof, and has a UV resistant coating.  The second Bugometer is a cardstock Benchside model to be used in your fly tying room. It will help convert the length of any specimen you bring home into the exact hook size for tying the bug to its proper size.

The Bugometer retails for $3 at the company’s Web site.