Little Caddis Thing

Mike N · #1 (**permalink**) 11-06-2006, 07:55 PM

Credit for this pattern goes to Lacy Peterson. As featured in Fly Fishing and Tying Journal. Summer, 2006: P59.

An excellent caddis/sedge pattern with CDC that is easy to tie and that keeps afloat well due to the high volume of CDC. Downside is that it does use a lot of the stuff.

Hook: Tiemco 200R 16 (curved shank dry)
Thread: 6/0 brown (or colour to suit)
Body: 1 CDC feather.
Wing/Outriggers: 4 CDC (type 4)
Thorax: Hares ear with lots of guard hairs
Antennae: 2 pheasant tail fibres.

Step 1: Wrap thread down to bend. Make sure to make an even thread base so that the CDC does not slip around the hook in later sections. Tie in a cdc feather by its tip to match wing colour. Bring the thread back up to just past midway along the shank.

Step 2: Now, wrap the CDC feather around the body, twisting it as you go, so that it makes a nice cdc rope. Don’t twist it too tight, or you will get a very segmented body. Try to find a balance between a ‘mess’ and tight ropy segments. A few stragglers is ok as it adds to the buggy look and will suggest legs on the surface profile. Tie off and cut excess stem just past mid shank.

Step 3: Now select 4 ‘type 4’ cdc feathers and match them in pairs. Put them back to back, so that the concave sides face out, and so that the stems make a ‘v’. Tie in the pairs on either side of the hook to form wings just in front of the body, and so that the wings angle up slightly. Make sure that the wings extend beyond the hook bend ‘a little.’ Do NOT cut stems yet.

Step 4. Now, fold outermost stem (the side of the ‘v’ pointing more towards you) back parallel to the body (not parallel to the upward angled wing) to form the ‘outrigger.’ Take 2 wraps over the creased stem to lock it in place, but allowing it to stick out at an angle from the body. Do this for the outside stem on the other side as well.

Step 5. Trim outrigger stems to length of wing. You may find that you need to trim some of the outrigger barbules at this stage – but don’t get overzealous. Keep it bushy. Trim off excess forward facing stems as well. After trimming all stems, I like to take 2 tight wraps over the stem area to male sure that the outriggers aren’t going anywhere.

Step 5. Tie in the antennae and dub on a thick, spiky hare’s ear thorax.

Step 6. Wrap thorax forward and tie off. Finished pattern should look something like this.

It is supposed to be very bushy – so don’t worry if the wing is a bit messy. It’s the surface profile of this pattern and its buoyancy that makes it such a deadly fly. It also works well as a wet pattern once it has become waterlogged.

yaffle · #2 (**permalink**) 14-06-2006, 01:37 PM

Thanks for that Mike,

I like the idea of the outriggers and it is a theme that could possibly be added to other dry flies, i'll try some when i get some cdc and post them up here if they look right or if they might work.

Yaffle

Mike N · #3 (**permalink**) 14-06-2006, 10:52 PM

yes, I thought they were a good idea, and they do help to suggest wings, whilst also making this pattern float upright. which is really important as I often find that winged flys tend to lay on their side unless perfectly tied.

The only problem with the outriggers is that the cdc fibres on the stem are necessarily pointing in the opposite direction (after being folded back) to the rest of the wing. So you often need to trim them a bit to make them fit with the swept back wing, and they still kind of stick out in a 'bed head' effect.
It doesn't affect the fish-ability of the pattern, but it does detract slightly from its aesthetic value in my opinion.

I'm not actually very happy with how this example turned out. It always looks great until you see it really close up in the photos. The wing is a bit too long on this one, and a bit too steeply angled. I might produce a new set of finished product photos whenI get a chance.

Mike

Theo · #4 (**permalink**) 15-06-2006, 09:25 AM

Nice sequence, Mike. Yes, I spotted this in FF&TJ too, and thought ... hmmm... should help me burn through my bumper box of cul de canard.

Theo

Cromie · #5 (**permalink**) 27-06-2006, 12:02 AM

I tied some of them patterens ages ago and i got a few takes on them, when i changed my fly to a black gnat i started cathing loads of fish straight away... i was wondering can ya get black cdc?

hametied · #6 (**permalink**) 27-06-2006, 08:17 AM

cromie, dyed cdc is available but i always use natural have havent found it to be a problem. the dyed stuff aint cheap and if not treated properly when dying can loose its floating properties, which kind of defeats the purpose.

wullie

Mike N · #7 (**permalink**) 29-06-2006, 02:35 PM

This fly (actually the one in the photos) got hammered last night. Took 5 fish before I had to tie on another. Its a really great pattern - esp if you skate it a bit.