Bodkin / Patterns

Firecracker Caddis

Nymph · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook 1XL curved caddis/scud nymph hook, 12-16
  • Thread Fluorescent red 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Bead Gold tungsten bead (sized to hook)
  • Weight Lead-free wire (8-10 wraps)
  • Abdomen Caddis (insect) green dubbing (thin pinch)
  • Rib Fine gold wire (1 strand)
  • Hotspot Fluorescent red thread or hot-orange dubbing (short band)
  • Thorax Dark brown dubbing (small pinch)

How to tie it

  1. Slide a gold tungsten bead to the eye, mount the hook, and start thread behind the bead.
  2. Wrap 8-10 turns of lead-free wire, shove it up into the back of the bead to lock it, and bind it down.
  3. Catch in a length of fine gold wire at the bend for the rib.
  4. Dub a thin, slightly tapered green abdomen to the 70% mark. Half the dubbing you think, caddis larvae are slim.
  5. Counter-wrap the gold rib forward in 5-6 evenly spaced turns to segment and armor the body, then helicopter the tag free.
  6. Build a short, bright fluorescent-red hotspot collar just ahead of the abdomen. This is the trigger.
  7. Dub a fatter dark-brown thorax up to the bead, keeping it buggy, then whip finish and cement.

Tying videos

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