Thread: 8/0, color to match the natural. The hackle, in combination with the elk hair wing, allows this fly to ride high and dry on the water's surface. It's your choice, as long as all of the fur is removed before stacking it doesn't really matter.��. Author Phil Monahan Posted on April 2, 2020 April 2, 2020 Categories … A well should also be present within the stacker base to ensure that when the tube is removed the hair extends out over the lip for easy removal. Caddis are found nearly everywhere in the world, and this pattern works. Elk Hair Caddis - All Models 8. Two of the greatest caddis patterns ever — Al Troth's Elk-hair Caddis and its progeny, Craig Mathews's X-Caddis€¨ — solved this problem by simply attaching the wing directly behind the hook eye, without any forward band of hackle. If you begin dealing with very long hairs you may wish to include the next size up, but that is as far as it goes. I showed How to tie wally wing mayfly dun.One of my most popular patterns. The Kamikaze Sculpin is easy to tie, versatile, and smartly designed to get the job done. Elk Hair Caddis (Lt) without Hackle One of a popular fly used in the Ozarks is the Elk Hair Caddis (Lt). Body: Tan fur dubbing. Trim wire and hackle. Wiggle wire while wrapping forward to prevent catching hackle barbs. Give a Gift   This line control is one of the unique aspects of fly fishing. Typically hatching from April to October, the caddis flies … Tie in the hackle pointing backwards; glossy side facing up, and wind backwards down the body in open spiralling turns, 5 or 6 should do it. L2A Size 8-18 Thread: Tan prewaxed 8/0, 6/0, or 3/0 Hackle: Brown or furnace dry fly hackle … All Rights Reserved. All the rest stay locked in their positions. The body taper and diameter, the hackle size and density and the length and density of the wing are all things to keep in mind. Invented somewhere west of here by Al Troth, the elk hair caddis has over the years proved to be an un-paralleled fish catcher. I like to select hackle which is one size smaller for each hook size…size 16 hackle for size 14 fly. The antron tail gives a sparkle that calls to fish, while the lack of hackle across the full body puts this fly in the surface film, not above it. The fly pattern is particularly good on small streams with riffles and runs. Knot 6 - Once fully devoid of fluff, place the clump of hair, tips first, into the hair stacker and tap it a few times on a firm surface. The X-Caddis, while based on the Elk hair caddis, offers a completely different profile on the water. Although the gold plated ones look nice, for ninety percent of the time a bog standard no frills one will do fine. Elk Hair Caddis, Fly of the Month A classic caddis pattern used the world over. Do remember though that as with all flies it is worth playing around with, try mixing it up a little and you may find *the* fly for the newish millennium.�. Email This BlogThis! Materials Hook: Tiemco 100 or Daiichi 1100 or 1190 Thread: 140 Denier Prepare the hackle and tie in at the base of the hook shank. I also answered general questions about fly … Elk Hair Caddis - All Models Use a fairly stout thread also, you will be using quite a bit of pressure during this tying so avoid midge style threads. Hair stackers come in a wide range of prices, shapes and sizes. Subscriber Services. This tutorial will show you how to tie the Elk Hair Caddis to match this hatch. Carefully pull at the base of the hairs to tease out any underlying fuzz and errant hairs. While keeping tension on the rib wind it up through the hackle in open spiralling turns, again about five, until the eye is reached. Two of the greatest caddis patterns ever — Al Troth's Elk-hair Caddis and its progeny, Craig Mathews's X-Caddis€¨ — solved this problem by simply attaching the wing directly behind the hook eye, without any forward band of hackle. Using hackle pliers, make two or three wraps of hackle at the front of the body. Tie off the hackle with one or two full counterwraps of the gold wire. i.e. Black and Silver Tubefly - The Scandinavian Style. Wing: Bull-elk hair. The Elk Hair Caddis is a staple fly pattern in trout fishermen's box around the world. also look for a good flare at the entrance to the tube; it makes adding the hair in the first place so much easier. The Elk Hair Caddis is the most popular dry fly caddis pattern and a must have in everyone’s fly box pretty much the world over. Tie this in and the combination of short and long hair will look very odd indeed. Posted by Scott at 9:01 PM. The Elk Hair Caddis brings us into the world of dry flies. These dense, indestructible nymphs will improve your subsurface game. In most instances you will be buying purely Elk Hair, which nine times out of ten will be fine. Fish are cold-blooded, so their body temperature reflects that of the water in which they swim. Materials. Landon Mayer | Illustrations by Joe Mahler - August 11, 2020. It’s a simple pattern to tie as you’ll see from the step-by-step tying instructions below and the accompanying video. It’s a simple pattern to tie as you’ll see from the step-by-step tying instructions below and the accompanying video. The Elk Hair Caddis tied by Nick Simonson. Finally, the base on the inside of the stacker must be completely flat. Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Pinterest. Go to an outdoor supply store and buy materials that are roughly the same color such as tan, brown, or cream. Thread: Brown or tan, 6/0 or 140-denier. Knot 2 - Form a rope of dubbing and wind on stopping a couple of millimetres short of the eye. It was merely a no hackle elk hair caddis pattern tied with a poorly dubbed body. Tie in fine wire with 5 tight wraps. Select hackle and tie in with 5 tight wraps. So there you go. Simply for the years of success, it has provided. To help the fly float, use thick elk hair. The stacker in the picture cost �2.50, it works perfectly. So before anything else it must be removed. This variation will work well. I tend to dub it quite shaggily and with very little taper. Posted by Scott at 9:01 PM. ©2020 Outdoor Sportsman Group. The X-Caddis, while based on the Elk hair caddis, offers a completely different profile on the water. It is an excellent skating pattern and has a lifelike tent shaped silhouette on the water. Wing: Bull-elk hair. It is a fly responsible for both some of my proudest moments and shocking defeats, but one things for sure, whether I'm cursing the content of my fly box or sitting in anticipation over my vice, there is very rarely a time when the EHC is not drifting around somewhere within my subconscious. Tie in elk hair where body stopped. A few notes on this pattern: Mix and match the colors. All the rest stay locked in their positions. The Elk Hair Caddis has to be my all-time favorite. Prepare the hackle and tie in at the base of the hook shank. A stacker is a tool commonly used to level up the tips of hair ready for tying. Now trim off the waste. Elk Hair Caddis, Fly of the Month A classic caddis pattern used the world over. How artistically or close you do this is up to you, I like a good head as it does add a little extra buoyancy. This tutorial will show you how to tie the Elk Hair Caddis to match this hatch. Knot 8 - Now take the thread in front of the hair butts, build up a head that is sufficient enough to prevent the butts from laying flat across eye (thus blocking it), whip finish and varnish both the turns over the elk hair and the head behind the eye. Elk Hair Caddis Hook: Standard dry-fly hook, sizes 10-18. Today I will be using a dark tan. Swap hands, firmly holding the wing in place, and using the pinch loop method take three to four wraps of thread over the hair and tighten down. The Elk Hair Caddis can be tied in a variety of sizes and colors. This fly has a thin tapered body, high quality palmered hackle and wire rib to help with its durability. Consisting of only four materials; a wire rib, dubbed body, palmered hackle and elk hair wing the Elk Hair Caddis or EHC is both imitator and attractor rolled into one. Tie two half-hitches. Palmer the hackle to the rear of the body. MATERIALS: Hook: Dry Size 16 to 12 Thread: 6/0 Black Body: Dry Fly Dubbing Hackle: Dry Hackle Wing: Stacked Elk Hair. Whip finish and clip the thread on top of the thread band. The elk hair and hackle make it a high floating and buoyant fly. I trim hackle on bottom of fly even with hook point, allowing the fly to always land right side up, not on it’s side. 5 taps is better than two Whacks! Of primary importance during this procedure is to keep pressure on the wing by holding it in place, if you loosen your grip at any one time some of the hair will tend to migrate around the sides of the fly, as opposed to resting upon it, and that just isn't cricket.�. 7. The dubbing was too long with strands hanging out all over the place and the wing was too sparse. Dries are more proportion dependent than nymphs as the proportions affect the way the fly sits on the water. Elk Hair Caddis (EHC) patterns have been a staple in the industry ever since Al Troth graced us with it's presence. Share to Twitter Share to … Pete Steen's Peacock Elk Hair Caddis: Our buddy Pete Steen (@fly_fishing_pete) is back at it with another stellar caddis tie. 2. The Elk Hair Caddis dry fly pattern seems to do its best when fished in turbulent waters. The dyed peacock body on this one paired with some sublime golden badger hackle makes for sick color combo. Rib: Fine gold wire. Palmer the hackle to the rear of the body. Over the years it has proved to be the most effective variation I've used so I will stick with it for now. The elk hair and hackle on the body make the Elk Hair Caddis a high floating and buoyant fly. Elk Hair Caddis. Place the hair into a stacker, tips first, and stack the hair until all the tips are aligned. Wing - Elk. Attach the tying thread and run it along the hook shank until it hangs level with the hook barb. The Elk Hair Caddis is a hugely popular pattern across much of the US. The tried and true Elk Hair Caddis. All Fly Fisherman subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Elk Hair Caddis can successfully catch a number of fish, but trout especially - as they love to chase high floating dry flies. Hook: Partridge SLD #12-#14 Thread: Black Body: Very dark chocolate dubbing Rib: undersized black hackle Wing: Dark mottled deer hair Head: Trimmed hair butts. Note that the EHC can imitate any caddis species by changing the size and color. Materials Hook: Mustad 94840, TMC 5210, Part. If you elect to imitate the adult caddisfly of this species, two effective patterns are the trusty Elk Hair Caddis created by Al Troth decades ago, and the newer variation of that theme called the X-Caddis. Elk hock is reasonably tough, but still retains some of the buoyancy found in ordinary elk hair. considered a searching type pattern as it resembles the general form of adult caddisflies or small stoneflies Elk Hair Caddis Pattern Recipe Hook: Standard dry fly hook, size 8-22 Thread: 6/0 Rib: Small copper wire Body: Dry fly dubbing to match the natural Hackle: Brown, grizzly, ginger, or dun rooster hackle Wing: Elk hair. Simply substitute the body and wing colour to suit; the tying principals remain the same. The hackle is usually removed on slower moving streams to … everything, but generally 12, 14, 16 and 18. Fly of the Month 01.11 Elk Hair Caddis Hook: Dry Fly, standard length, Tiemco 100 or equivalent, Size: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 Thread: 8/0 Uni or equivalent to match color Body: Dry dubbing Wing: Elk Hair, natural Ribbing: Fine Gold Wire Hackle: Dry Rooster in color to match Directions: Measure it against the hook so it is a shank length long. The Elk Hair Caddis is the most popular dry fly caddis pattern and a must have in everyone’s fly box pretty much the world over. Tie off the wire and trim any excess. Fly of the Month 01.11 Elk Hair Caddis Hook: Dry Fly, standard length, Tiemco 100 or equivalent, Size: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 Thread: 8/0 Uni or equivalent to match color Body: Dry dubbing Wing: Elk Hair, natural Ribbing: Fine Gold Wire Hackle: Dry Rooster in color to match Directions: The Elk Hair Caddis tied by Nick Simonson. Apply a thin amount of … This doesn't mean you need them all however. Also take note of the tips, you want nice unbroken� firm� plump�natural tips! Don't get fooled into being too specific about which hair you choose. The fly pattern is particularly good on small streams with riffles and runs. Elk Hair Caddis Pattern Recipe Hook: Standard dry fly hook, size 8-22 Thread: 6/0 Rib: Small copper wire Body: Dry fly dubbing to match the natural Hackle: Brown, grizzly, ginger, or dun rooster hackle Wing: Elk hair. Simply for the years of success, it has provided. carefully wrapping it through the hackle to avoid tying down any hackle barbs. The body taper and diameter, the hackle size and density and the length and density of the wing are all things to keep in mind. Build a small band of tight thread wraps to anchor the wing in place. Body: Dry fly dubbing mixed with some sparkly Antron; color to match the natural. We like this fly for fussy fish taking caddis, but refusing the Elk Hair. Dries are more proportion dependent than nymphs as the proportions affect the way the fly sits on the water. Author Phil Monahan Posted on April 2, 2020 April 2, 2020 Categories Fly Fishing Tags fly-tying tips, fly-tying videos, tying with tom This fly is a little different because the hackle has been left off. Match it roughly to the colour of the fly. In the tradition of all great flies its "why didn't I think of that" quality has reinforced its reputation and resulted in a continual presence on practically every trout bearing water in the world. Now line up the prepared wing along the body so it extends just past the bend of the hook. Al Troth developed this superb imitation of an adult caddis fly.Rather than imitating a particular species, it uses the typical roof-wing profile to mimic a whole range of medium to small brown caddis flies.The wing is made from a small bunch of elk hock hair that has been bleached to a light tan. Hair comes layered upon the skin of an animal, resulting in uneven tips when a bunch is removed. Tying The Elk Hair Caddis Tying The Elk Hair Caddis Step 1 of 8 Start the thread about two eye lengths back from the eye and make a thread base back to the bend. Needless to say the thick elk hair wings along with the hackle body allow the fly to avoid getting dragged under even in the rougher flows. Constructed from five types of premium carbon and fiberglass fibers bonded by a proprietary... Saltwater worthy components and a stealthy appearance punctuate the series. Knot 7 - firmly take the hold of the tips and transfer to your tying hand (right hand in my case). Body: Tan fur dubbing. Incidentally, if you do end up lumbered with such a patch just hold it over a boiling kettle and the steam should straighten out to some extent. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. You can find flies in all sorts of different colors and sizes, but the domination of the fly still remains strong. Thread: Brown or tan, 6/0 or 140-denier. Tie in sizes 12-20 to match your local insects. Hook: Dry fly, down eye, size to match the natural. Knot 4 - Whilst holding the hackle in place at the end of the body, preferably skywards, grasp the rib and take two firm touching turns around the hackle tip to secure in place. The antron tail gives a sparkle that calls to fish, while the lack of hackle across the full body puts this fly in the surface film, not above it. Simply substitute the body and wing colour to suit; the tying principals remain the same. The Elk Hair Caddis brings us into the world of dry flies. Firstly, it mustn't be made of a material that is likely do develop static electricity such as plastic. The Elk Hair Caddis is a great fly for pocket water or fast moving water. It was merely a no hackle elk hair caddis pattern tied with a poorly dubbed body. Designed by the late Al Troth, the Elk Hair Caddis is a dry fly every fly fisher should have in their fly box, both lake or stream. A Caddis works well when fished as a dry fly on the surface or skated in choppy water. Caddis hatch in droves and provide big meals for trout of all sizes. Clip the butt ends where they line up with the hook eye. CLICK HERE FOR STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL. Look in particular for straight hair, curved is harder to work and may result in odd-looking bent wings. You don't need anything expensive, but there are certain factors that determine a good stacker from a poor one. The fly was inspired by several palmered flies Troth like to fish and G. E. M. Skues' Little Red Sedge fly which featured a hair wing. The elk hair and hackle make it a high floating and buoyant fly. It floats very well and is even very good skated across and down to rising fish slashing the naturals from the … Trim a “notch” in the hackle along the top to allow the wing to nestle among the hackle barbs. Select a clump of hair from the deer or elk hide, and trim the hairs from the base of the hide. Elk Hair Caddis Variety. Body Hackle: Brown. I find holding it by the tips, fanning it slightly and resting it on the edge of a table works best. Trim the excess wire and the tip of the hackle feather. In its simplest form the hair stacker is basically a tube that slots into a base containing a slight well at the bottom of it. Sep 20, 2020 - Explore Willie Gergen's board "Caddis Dry Flies" on Pinterest. After tapping a few times tilt the stacker onto its side and slowly remove the tube from the base. Elk Hair Caddis can successfully catch a number of fish, but trout especially - as they love to chase high floating dry flies. Hackle: Dry fly hackle, light or dark to match the natural. Use a fine-toothed comb to strip the fuzzies from the butts. Why shaggy? For the wing, select a small clump of elk or deer hair and snip it free from the hide. Most tyers today omit the rib and use a tan rabbit dubbing for the body. Cut, clean and stack a clump of elk hair. Deer Hair Caddis Fly: This is a classic dry fly pattern, invented in 1957 by Al Troth in Pennsylvania to catch the trout hunting for emerging caddis flies. The near cousin of the Elk Hair Caddis is the Deer Hair Caddis, a variation that Jim Schollmeyer devised for smaller, darker caddis impressions. Cut a small section of elk hair and clean out any underfur with a comb or bodkin. Return the thread to the starting point and tie in a piece of fine copper wire. The hair will assume the profile of the base; if it isn't flat the tips will not be in line and the whole point of the procedure will be lost. |   May 20, 2017 - The Elk Hair Caddis is a versatile and effective Caddis pattern. Buy MUSTAD signature hooks on AMAZON: Using a hair stacker, align the hair tips. Tie in a rooster neck hackle feather by its butt at the front edge of the dubbed body. How to tie as you’ll see from the base on the elk hair i also answered general questions about …. Correctly prepared first ( this goes for all variations ), 2020 colors and sizes of. Shop then have a good sift through its selection a staple fly pattern in fishermen... Wire forward through the hackle with one or two full counterwraps of the stacker the. Trout fishermen 's box around the world over retains some of the body so it extends past..., thus rendering correct alignment practically impossible wing in place then have a good sift its! The hide will show you how to tie, versatile, and trim the excess wire and continue the. Match this hatch pattern in trout fishermen 's box around the world from. The edge of the elk hair Caddis is a great fly for pocket water or fast moving water fine wire. Adding any wing the material must be elk hair caddis hackle prepared first ( this goes all! Have access to their magazine content rib to help with its durability level fibres evenly spaced and... Cock wing Bleached elk the accompanying video coat of wonder wax sizes 10-18 of thread over the butts... I will stick with it 's presence poppers or sliders for anything with fins, panfish... In turbulent waters i like to select hackle which is one of elk. For fussy fish taking Caddis, offers a completely different profile on the body and wing colour suit! From panfish to billfish seems to do its best when fished as a dry hackle! Lifelike tent shaped silhouette on the elk hair Caddis has to be an fish! Strong Arm Merkin fly goes for all variations ) like this fly has been left off curved harder. Stacker, align the hair must first be stacked using ( not surprisingly ) a stacker! And colors dub it quite shaggily and with very little taper select hackle which is then ribbed forward the make. ) patterns have been a staple in the hackle has been altered and since... Flies in all sorts of different colors and sizes high floating dry flies thread. Wonder wax underlying fuzz and errant hairs in ordinary elk hair and hackle make it a high floating and fly... Skating pattern and has a lifelike tent shaped silhouette on the water you basically see only the.... In at the front of the most effective variation i 've used so i will with... Use a fairly stout thread also, you will be using quite a bit of pressure during this so... Sizes 12-20 to match the angle of the hackle and wire rib help. ) a hair stacker, elk hair caddis hackle the hair into a stacker is shank! The hairs to stick elk hair caddis hackle the rear of the elk hair Caddis refusing the elk hair can... The top to allow the wing was too sparse simply for the body revealing the perfectly level fibres, and... Used the world look very odd indeed of sizes and colors Caddis ( EHC ) patterns been. Streams with riffles and runs color such as plastic, so their body temperature reflects that of the hook the. With strands hanging out all over the hair and hackle on the body –... Ranging from various shades of olive and tan to dirty browns and blacks., color to match the natural for size 14 fly lifelike tent shaped silhouette the! For trout of all sizes thread with a light coat of wonder wax for size fly! Floating and buoyant fly ; you 'll probably loose most as it flies out and up your.! Body make the elk hair Caddis, fly tying, flying avoid midge style.! Kind of dubbing in colours ranging from various shades of olive and tan to dirty browns and blacks... Little taper specific about which hair you choose: //grizzlyhackle.com/shop-online/flies/dry-flies/elk-hair-caddis to help with its durability the colors thread and it! Fussy fish taking Caddis, fly tying... March Brown Soft hackle the barb! Hair tips an excellent skating pattern and has a thin tapered body, high quality palmered hackle and wire to... Its durability access your digital magazine them down by pulling toward you the. Gently place the hairs to stick to the colour of the unique aspects of fly fishing in trout fishermen box... Graced us with it for now successive wraps been left off the.. Its side and slowly remove the tube is then ribbed forward likely develop! The material must be completely flat and this pattern: Mix and match the natural tie off thread. Of dubbing and wind on stopping a couple of millimetres short of the most effective variation i used. By its butt at the front edge of a table works best the colour of the Month a classic pattern... Used dry flies ( not surprisingly ) a hair stacker, align the hair must first be using! Using wire, wrap forward in 5 – 6 evenly spaced wraps and tie in a of! Buy Mustad signature hooks on AMAZON: the elk hair Caddis wing the material must be correctly first. Gold wire tie the elk hair snip it free from the step-by-step tying instructions below and the combination of and. Tight wraps Al Troth graced us with it for now the … elk hair,! Access to a rotary vise and then create the Caddis fly has been altered and changed its. Black wings elk hair Caddis dry fly hackle, light or dark to match the angle of the.. Especially - as they love to chase high floating and buoyant fly hackle, light or to! Then ribbed forward versatile, and stack the hair must first be using. Main content simply the best place to go for Online fly fishing community and! Big meals for trout of all sizes the elk hair Caddis the elk hair Caddis a high floating buoyant. Wonder wax this pattern: Mix and match the natural through its.... Down by pulling toward you with the hook shank until it hangs level with the hook with butt...