Bodkin / Patterns

Brent's Mink Hair Caddis

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Tiemco standard dry fly, 14
  • Thread rusty brown 8/0

Materials

  • Antron dubbing (body) Cinnamon caddis (small amount)
  • Mink guard hair (wing) Natural deer hair (1 stacked bunch)
  • Neck hackle Dark ginger hackle (about 4 turns)

How to tie it

  1. Start the rusty brown thread on the size 14 dry-fly hook.
  2. Dub a thin, slender body of cinnamon caddis Antron from the bend to about the 70% point. Keep it skinny, no taper needed.
  3. Clip a generous bunch of mink guard hair close to the hide, strip out the underfur (save it. It makes excellent dry-fly dubbing), and even the tips in a stacker.
  4. Tie the wing in well back from the eye with plenty of firm wraps, mink guard hair is extremely slippery, tips extending just past the bend; keep the wing small and sparse.
  5. Select dark ginger neck hackle sized to the hook and tie it in at the wing tie-down point.
  6. Wind about four turns of hackle forward, leaving a small bare spot of thread right behind the eye.
  7. Whip finish in that bare spot, keep every slippery hair out of the head area or the whole fly will slide, and add a drop of cement.

Tying videos

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