Bodkin / Patterns

Brent's Copper Top Caddis Pupa

Nymph · Emerger · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Curved nymph hook, 10
  • Thread Red 8/0

Materials

  • Holographic tinsel (shellback) Brown (copper also good) (1 strand)
  • Copper wire (rib) Copper wire (1 length)
  • Legus translucent dubbing (body) Sparkle olive caddis (as needed)
  • Partridge feather (throat) Brown hen hackle (tips from 1 feather)
  • Semperfli dubbing with ice dub blend (thorax) Tea green olive (1 pinch)

How to tie it

  1. Start the red thread and tie in the brown holographic tinsel at the bend for the shellback, along with the copper wire for the rib, laying both along the side/top.
  2. Dub a tapered body of sparkle olive caddis translucent dubbing forward over about three-quarters of the shank, thicker toward the front.
  3. Pull the holographic tinsel over the top of the body as the shellback, keeping it centered.
  4. Rib forward over the shellback with evenly spaced turns of copper wire and tie both off. The wire locks the back down and makes it durable.
  5. Rough up the underside of the body with a dubbing picker so fibers trail below.
  6. Do not trim the tinsel: leave the tag pointing back to become the wing case. Measure a few brown partridge tips along the near side and roll them under the shank so they sit as a throat; clip the butts.
  7. Dub a thorax of tea green olive ice-dub blend behind the eye.
  8. Pull the tinsel tag forward over the thorax as a wing case, tie it down, and trim.
  9. Build a small red thread head and whip finish.

Tying videos

← All fly patterns