Bodkin / Patterns

Foam Caddis

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

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

Materials

  • Body Tan/olive carapace (2mm foam strip or dubbed underbody)
  • Underbody Caddis green/tan (sparse dubbing)
  • Wing Natural deer hair (small tented clump)
  • Overwing/back Tan carapace (thin foam strip)
  • Hackle Brown hackle (optional, 2-3 turns at head)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the hook and lay a thread base to the bend.
  2. Bind a gap-width tan foam strip at the bend and dub a thin body forward to the 65% mark.
  3. Pull the foam forward over the body to form a low back and bind at the 65% mark.
  4. Stack a small clump of deer hair and tie it in tented over the body, tips reaching just past the bend.
  5. Optionally wind 2-3 turns of brown hackle at the front for legs and float.
  6. Fold any remaining foam forward to form a small head bump and bind behind the eye.
  7. Whip finish and trim the deer butts and foam to a neat head.

Tying videos

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