Bodkin / Patterns

Elden's Mother's Day Caddis

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook standard dry-fly hook (TMC 100 / Daiichi 1180), 16-18
  • Thread olive or black 8/0 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Shuck (optional) Olive/amber Antron (small tuft)
  • Body Dark olive / grannom dry-fly dubbing (pinch)
  • Wing Dark deer or elk hair (small clump)
  • Hackle (optional) Brown or dun dry-fly hackle (1 feather)

How to tie it

  1. Optionally tie in a short amber Antron shuck at the bend to imitate the emerging pupa's trailing skin.
  2. Dub a slim, dark olive body forward, stopping about two eye-lengths short of the eye. The Mother's Day (grannom) caddis has a distinctly olive body.
  3. Clean, stack, and measure a small clump of dark deer hair to reach the bend, then tie it in as a down wing with firm pinch wraps.
  4. Trim the butts to a short head over the eye.
  5. Optionally wind a couple turns of brown hackle at the head for a fuller, higher-riding version.
  6. Whip finish and cement the head.

Tying videos

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