Hook curved-shank nymph (Dai-Riki Model 135), 16 (12-16)
Thread Black 8/0
Materials
Bead Black nickel bead (sized to the hook)
Rib Copper wire (one 6" strand)
Body Diamond Braid, dyed fluorescent chartreuse pearl (one strand)
Hackle Starling (one small feather)
Collar Rabbit fur dubbing, black (a thin noodle about an inch long)
How to tie it
Mount a Dai-Riki 135 curved-shank hook in size 16 with a matching black nickel bead.
Start the tying thread, wrap back to the bend of the hook and cut the thread free of the bobbin tag.
Cut a six-inch length of copper wire and tie it in as the ribbing, binding it from the front of the hook all the way back to where the thread is hanging.
Tie in the dyed fluorescent chartreuse Diamond Braid securely at the rear. Andrew chose this material because it gives the bulky, flashy green body he has seen on rock caddis on the bottom of rivers in New Jersey and in Montana.
Palmer the braid forward to just behind the bead, deliberately building a taper as you work towards the front to imitate the tapered body of the natural, then tie it off and cut it free.
Open-spiral the copper wire forward over the body to the same point, pressing the wire in as you wrap so it compresses the braid, secures it to the hook and shows the ribbing off more strongly.
Break or cut the wire off and build a small thread base behind the bead.
Prepare a starling feather and tie it in tip first over that thread base. Starling has short feathers with soft wavy fibres that look right underwater, but any short soft hackle works.
Grip the feather in hackle pliers and wrap it delicately around the thread base. One or two turns is plenty for a sparse soft hackle representing the legs.
Tie the hackle down, secure it and cut the feather free, then wrap the fibres back so there is room for the collar.
Dub a thin noodle of black rabbit fur about an inch long, slide it up to the hook and wrap the collar in front of the hackle.
Take a few thread wraps in front of the collar, put in a four or five turn whip finish and cut the thread free.