The bug band is a slim specialty bead that is made of fully machined brass.Some of you might remember it when I released it about five years ago as the Bug Collar; a mismanaged product from a previous and short-lived business relationship. It was always meant to be part of this entire system and was released before it’s time. Since that time two sizes were eliminated and two new sizes were added that fit better in the overall plan for the weight management system.As an integral part of the weight management system the Bug Band has several purposes. The most common use of the Bug Band may be the immediate addition of a hotspot behind the bead of your fly. Their size, shape, and construction also allow them to be added to any part of the fly, should you require intermediate hotspots, while maintaining the profile of the fly you are tying since varying sizes can be added anywhere in the fly profile. As a brass bead the weight of the bug band is roughly 20% of that of a comparably sized tungsten bead. One of the most advantageous purposes of the Bug Band is that they work very well as a fly weightcolor coding system in your fly box. Using the Additive Weight Calculations charts (see pages 6 & 7) or the online calculator you can choose how to weight your flies and then select bug band colors to represent those weights in your fly box