Bodkin / Patterns

Balloon Caddis

Dry Fly · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 2 versions

Classic Recipe

  • Hook standard/curved dry (Partridge Arrowpoint), 12-18
  • Thread tan or olive 8/0

Materials

  • Abdomen Antron/rabbit blend dubbing (as needed)
  • Thorax Antron/rabbit blend dubbing (same) (as needed)
  • Wing Natural elk hair (small bunch)
  • Head Closed-cell foam strip (tan/orange) (1)

How to tie it

  1. Lay a thread base and dub a slim tapered abdomen of the Antron/rabbit blend over the rear two-thirds.
  2. Stack a small bunch of elk hair and tie it in as a low tent-style downwing, tips extending to about the bend, butts pointing forward over the eye.
  3. Tie in a strip of closed-cell foam at the front, over the elk-hair butts, leaving the tag forward.
  4. Dub a short thorax under the foam butts.
  5. Pull the foam strip forward over the thorax and lash it down just behind the eye to form a bulbous buoyant 'balloon' head, then trim the excess. The foam head is what keeps this low-rider afloat like a struggling caddis.
  6. Whip finish behind the foam head.

Other versions

1 more in the app: Fischer's Flies.

Tying videos

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