Bodkin / Patterns

Deb's Hot Mess Caddis Emerger

Emerger · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Emerger, barbless (Ahrex), 14
  • Thread Primrose 12/0 Semperfli Classic Waxed

Materials

  • Antron yarn Pale morning dun (Sparse wisp for trailing shuck)
  • Dirty Bug Yarn Caddis brown (Half of one split strand for body)
  • Fluoro Brite Sulphur (1 length for rib)
  • CDC feather Natural cdc feathers (1 for underwing)
  • Deer hair Natural, fine (Small cleaned, stacked bunch for overwing)
  • Kapok dubbing Olive dun kapok dubbing (Small amount for head)

How to tie it

  1. Angle the hook in the vise to expose the bend, start the thread and run it almost halfway down the bend.
  2. Tie in a very sparse wisp of PMD Antron as a trailing shuck, snip the butts, then chip the shuck ends off unevenly with your scissor blade. Ragged, not square.
  3. Level the hook and bring the thread to about the one-third point. Tie in the sulphur Fluoro Brite rib and bind it down the bend.
  4. Split a strand of Dirty Bug Yarn in half, tie the half-strand in, and wrap it up the shank as the body, keeping it slim and avoiding the hook point so it doesn't split. Tie off and trim.
  5. Wind the rib forward in even open turns to segment the body; tie off well.
  6. Lay one natural CDC feather along the top as an underwing reaching just short of the back of the hook; secure and trim the stem.
  7. Clean and lightly stack a small bunch of fine deer hair (less than half a gape-width), trim the butts to length before tying in, wax the thread, and lock the wing on top with two loose loops pulled tight, winding through the ends to control flare. The wing should reach about the back of the body.
  8. Dub a generous head of kapok, building it up so it holds the fly in the surface film.
  9. Whip finish and trim, then lightly rough up the kapok head with a small velcro brush so it looks suitably messy.

Tying videos

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