Everyone has their own way of tying Caddis. This is mine. I like to keep the deer/elk hair head above the hook eye. Some caddis imitations will add a wire rib. As far as i'm concerned, even though deer hair and elk float, a wire rib adds weight. I catch enough trout on'em I don't use wire.
If you decide to use a fine gold wire, tie it in before the saddle hackle rib. After palmering the rib, counter wrap the wire over it. This will keep the hackle rib from getting torn up by the fishies teeth.
It was late when I decided to do these so they are not refined, just a tute for those interested in tying Caddis. I wouldn't be on a Pennsylvania stream without them!
Hook: Standard Dry #16,#14,#12. For egg sack caddis I use a 1x long hook.
Thread: Tan 0/6 or heavier.
Egg sack: Grannom green
Rib: Dark Ginger Dry Saddle Hackle, palmered over body in open wraps
Body: caddis green (lighter than egg sac)
Wing: light brown elk hair
1.Base hook shaft
2. Dub an egg sac at rear of shaft with bright green dubbing
3. Tie in saddle hackle in front of egg sac.
4. Twist Caddis green dubbing on thread in one direction
5. Wrap dubbing forward, leave plenty room behind eye of hook
6. Palmer hackle towards hook eye and tie down.
7. Trim top of hackle at an angle as shown.
8. Cut a pinch of brown elk hair close to hide. Pull out underfur from base of elk hair and put in hair stacker tips down.
Tap bottom of stacker on hard surface and, with stacker horizontal, pull out inner tube with even hair tips.
9. Tie down elk wing, with tips just rear of hook bend, behind hook eye with three soft loops and than pull down to tighten. This will flare elk wing some.
10. Add a few more thread wraps to secure wing. Trim Elk hair as shown to make head. Then bring thread in front and underneath of elk head.
11. Tie off thread wraps under elk head.
I use a half hitch tool to finish the thread wraps and I always add head cement. Sometimes I trim the bottom of the hackle even or just above the hook point. This will make sure the fly lands correctly and I feel gets a better hook set on sipping trout.
If you want to tie a fluttering Caddis add a couple of winds of dry fly hackle where you tied down the Elk hair behind the eye as shown.
Deer Hair fluttering Caddis
Natural deer hair for wing
Olive dubbed body
1. After tying down wing tie in a drk ginger or brown hackle
A couple of wraps and tie off
Other Caddis dries I tie.
Tan Elk hair olive Caddis
Dark olive Deer hair Caddis with egg sac
I use dark deer hair for wing
Also good for the Grannom Hatch
Some of the dubbing colors I use for bodies
Happy Fishing ~doubletaper
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