FLY
Elk Hair Caddis
Elk Hair Caddis recipe
| Hook | #10 - #20 dry fly |
|---|---|
| Thread | tan |
| Body | tan fine dubbing (hare's ear) |
| Ribbing | gold wire |
| Body Hackle | ginger |
| Wing | Elk hair |
| Head | Elk hair |
About this fly
Hook: #10 - #20 (here #14) dry fly Body: tan dubbing (traditionally hare's ear) Rib: gold wire (here UNI-French oval) Hackle: ginger to fit hook size Wing and head: stacked elk hair Stack a pinch of elk hair, set aside to be used for wing and head Tie in ginger hackle and gold wire to hook bend (There are options: if you wrap the rib directly over the dubbing body, tie the gold wire in second; if you wrap the rib through the hackle, tie the gold wire in first) Dub the body with tan dubbing (traditionally hare's ear); leave a couple eye lengths at the front of the hook to tie in the wing and head See options above: either wrap the wire rib over the dubbing and then palmer the hackle OR palmer the hackle and wrap the wire rib through the hackle; tie off each leaving room for the wing and head Tie the pinch of elk hair on top of the hook shank behind the eye tying over and under with the tips toward the tail; wing should be about body length Whip finish Clip off and shape extra elk hair above the eye to create the head
What the Elk Hair Caddis imitates
- Caddis adult (adult)
Where the Elk Hair Caddis came from
- Originated by Al Troth, 1957, Loyalsock Creek, Pennsylvania. Tied for a green caddis hatch. Designed as a wet fly to swing through riffles; it floated too well, and became a dry fly instead.Source: Wikipedia: Elk Hair Caddis; Orvis News: Remembering Al Troth; Flylords
- Described by Fly Tyer magazine, 1978. A 1978 Fly Tyer article brought the pattern wide public attentionSource: Orvis News: Remembering Al Troth
- Derived from Little Red Sedge (G.E.M. Skues). Inspired by Skues' hair-winged Little Red Sedge and palmered flies Troth likedSource: Wikipedia: Elk Hair Caddis
Where sources tell it differently, each account is listed with its own source.
Inside the vault every material on this fly opens to its own card, and you can save the fly to your own boxes.
