Bodkin / Patterns

Elk Hair Caddis CDC

Dry Fly · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry-fly hook, #12-#16
  • Thread Tan 8/0

Materials

  • Body Tan/olive carapace (Fine dry-fly dubbing)
  • Rib Gold middle (Fine wire, 4-5 turns)
  • Underwing Natural dun wing bud (1-2 CDC feathers)
  • Overwing Natural tan material (Small bunch elk hair)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the hook and start thread at the bend.
  2. Tie in the fine gold wire, then dub a slim tapered body forward to the 75% mark.
  3. Counter-wrap the wire forward in 4-5 open turns and tie off for a segmented, durable abdomen.
  4. Tie in one or two CDC feathers as an underwing, tips reaching just past the bend, to add float and a natural haze.
  5. Clean and stack a sparse bunch of elk hair; measure it a touch longer than the body and bind it over the CDC with tight thread turns, tips angled back.
  6. Lift the butts, take a few thread wraps in front to stand them up, then whip finish and trim the butts to a short stub head.

Tying videos

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