Bodkin / Patterns

Pale Elk Hair Caddis

Dry Fly · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry-fly hook, 14-18
  • Thread Tan 8/0

Materials

  • Fine gold wire (rib) Gold wire (1 length)
  • Dry-fly dubbing (body) Cream / pale tan dry fly dubbing (pinch)
  • Rooster hackle (palmered) Ginger hackle (1 feather)
  • Elk hair (wing) Bleached / light elk hair (1 bunch)

How to tie it

  1. Tie in the fine gold wire at the bend, then tie in a ginger hackle by its butt at the same point.
  2. Dub a slim pale body forward to the 80% mark.
  3. Palmer the hackle forward over the body in 5-6 open turns and tie it off with a wrap of wire.
  4. Counter-wrap the gold wire forward through the hackle in 4-5 turns to lock it, then helicopter to break off the wire.
  5. Stack a bunch of bleached elk hair and tie it in as a downwing, tips reaching the bend; keep the butts pointing forward over the eye.
  6. Trim the butt ends into a short upright head and whip finish over the trimmed stubs; add a drop of cement.

Tying videos

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