Caddii suggestions

[Artin]

Want to see if any of you guys can share some pictures of your caddis patterns. I am looking for a couple of new patters for the Lower O and HC/EW for this time of year. I would love to see what you guys are throwing at 'em.
Kinda wanna know also belly color of the naturals. From what I remember they are really dark grey almost black size 18-20 or 22 after they've emerged and as far as the pupa's I have NO idea....
I was thinking of doing something down the lines of LaFontaines sparkle and Cutters way of putting on a Bird's nest rubbed with Shimizake shake but don't know if color and size would really matter. All these years I have not really committed myself too much to the Caddis family of flies although I have a box I hardly use it. I will be going up soon and want to concentrate on them more this trip.

Thanks guys,

Artin

[darrin terry]

I don't know about color of the caddis there, but the sparkle pupa has been a great pattern for me. I also like Czech nymph caddis patterns when a bit of weight is needed.

I do caddis in a variety of colors from tan to brown to olive. The sparkle pupas I tie are done with SLF dubbing for the body. I use Lafontaine trilobal yarn for the shuck/shell, thingy, whatever it's called. I do them with and without the soft hackle. I have not decided whether or not the hackle makes a difference. I guess I'd say to do the hackle unless you want to experiment yourself.

I also like Mikey Wier's caramel caddis as it has done quite well for me in the past, although I've only been using the sparkle and Czech nymphs this year and thus do not have any in my boxes currently.

[meb]

I use the CDC and Elk created by Hans Weilenmann for almost all of my Caddis fishing. It works as an adult, emerger, and cripple. The only complaint is that if it's really rough water, it can get soaked and sink, but if that happens I usually just fish it as a wet and have caught some nice fish letting it swing. Is that cheating if you do it on Hot Creek Ranch? You can also tie it a little fuller with the elk and it will float longer. I use some sort of powder floatant pretty often with this fly.

Here's a good video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykefjYMvQuc

I agree with the guy who made the video that he tied the wing a bit long. I like it because it only has two materials and is quick and easy to tie.

MB

[8NoFish]

CDC & Elk and Craig Mathew's X-Caddis in various colors and sizes
http://www.blue-ribbon-flies.com/how-to/amber_x_caddis/

[planettrout]

Hey Artin...



He says to use the following:



Graphic Caddis:

http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox ... arentID=97

Mercer's Missing Link - an easier tie:

http://www.caddischronicles.com/2010/08 ... addis.html

Kelly Galloup's Butch Caddis:

http://flytyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/07 ... y-galloup/


PT/TB

[Artin]

I don't know about color of the caddis there, but the sparkle pupa has been a great pattern for me. I also like Czech nymph caddis patterns when a bit of weight is needed.

I do caddis in a variety of colors from tan to brown to olive. The sparkle pupas I tie are done with SLF dubbing for the body. I use Lafontaine trilobal yarn for the shuck/shell, thingy, whatever it's called. I do them with and without the soft hackle. I have not decided whether or not the hackle makes a difference. I guess I'd say to do the hackle unless you want to experiment yourself.

I also like Mikey Wier's caramel caddis as it has done quite well for me in the past, although I've only been using the sparkle and Czech nymphs this year and thus do not have any in my boxes currently.

I googled Wier's caramel caddis... looks plenty fishy! Have you tied it in any other colors? I will give it a go. Maybe tie up 3 experimentals and see how it goes. In the Sparkle caddis size wise what are you tying mostly? I read his book on Caddis... very interesting. I can never get past the half way point though! I must have read half that book maybe 3 times....

Meb,
I have a crap load of those CDC/Elk. I hear ya on the effectiveness. I also agree about it not being a good fly in rough water, visually I always loose track in the smaller sizes. I fish it a lot as mayflies and it works pretty well on finnikky fish. It is not as durable as I'd like it to be though, have you noticed the same with the durability? After a couple of fish it is ready to be retired...

Tim,
He is right!


Love that box! I always wanted to endulge in the La Fontaine line of flies.... I went ahead and found a dealer that sells the trilobal yardn and bought a 2 packs of each color they have (Kinda over kill).... I need to still tie a fly with them. Which colors would you recommend? From what I see in that box it looks like you've got everything down from here to NY!
That Graphic Caddis looks plenty nice too! Have you fished it? Any success?


Thank's for the feedback guys!

It's always cool to see what others with more years under their belt than I have to say about things!

Artin

[meb]

Artin,

CDC is not as durable as other materials, so I often use more than a few flies. They seem to need some time to dry out and then they regain their original body or fullness. I use a Sparkle Dun pattern with CDC rather than elk or deer which is really effective for BWO, and I tie it with three feathers even down to size 20. It looks too full in the box or vise, but on the water it works really well. CDC seem to have some quality that the fish like, especially finicky ones.

MB

[darrin terry]

When I do tie the caramel caddis, I use a blend of SLF Prism in light olive and tan beaver dubbing. Sometimes just the SLF. It's fairly similar to the bird's nest fly, without the tail, but the bird's nest has not been nearly as productive for me.

[Artin]

I hear ya on the CDC, it is a fish attractant for sure! I got into it a while back when I picked up this book, it's great
http://www.amazon.com/Tying-Flies-CDC-L ... 0811700399
I have a lot of flies that I incorporate CDC into. The durability is the only drawback for me so I am looking for some patterns which will last more than a few fish.... like the woolly bugger.... I can fish all day with just one!

But something about CDC I love still. Great material, easy to work with and catches fish. I have a box full of different colors and types of the stuff! It's a tying go to for me.

You know about that Birds nest, a few years back I went up to the C&R Section solo and ran into another guy going solo, he was very cool and I asked him if he would mind some company, he agreed that it would be safer and we walked up the trail and talked. He mentioned that his go to fly was a Birds nest and he fished it a lot, accounted for about 80% of his fish there and other locations. I thought I'd give it a try but never tied one. I've always been curious and never got around to it. Ralph cutter has a pretty cool shot if it on his site covered with that Shimizake shake.

looks just like a caddis under water but that's an adult not a pupa

You guys have any experience with this?

Artin

[planettrout]

Artin,

The Graphic Caddis is a killer pattern...one has to tie their own...the junk sold in the fly shops up in certain towns on the East side - BLOWS...

All my La Fontaine sparkle pattens are tied using the formulas and methods that appeared in the Spring 2006 Issue of Fly Tyer Magazine. The color schemes require mixing a number of Antron dubbings for the abdomens and veils...send me a PM with your E Mail and I will get the info to you...I came up with my own formula for that Amber Caddis that appears on the EW...Michael smoked 'em with it...

The Butch Caddis is an excellent floater...pops back up like a cork in heavy water...

Did someone say BIRD'S NEST ?

http://planettrout.wordpress.com/2012/0 ... -patterns/

PT/TB

[fshflys]

Kelly Galloup's Butch Caddis:

http://flytyer.wordpress.com/2009/06/07 ... y-galloup/


PT/TB [/quote]
Tied this last year, great pattern, floats like a cork, if it goes under, it pops right back up. Only thing was it was tuff to tie in small sizes. Just tied a couple, but this time, instead of folding back all the hairs, I cut out about half then folded them back & gave 'em a Butch. I like the way they look, can't wait to try them.

[flyster]

A bit late on this one so here you go Artin. This Caddis pattern is a basic EHC with materials that are somewhat new and old. I use pinch of UV In just about every dry fly I tie nowadays. The body color is the only change I make when matching the hatch. In this time and age hackle has improved so much in size of barbels and length one is able to buy just about anything one needs. I have always loved the Golden speckled badger for its specks, black base and black tips but had a hard time finding smaller size hackle (22 and smaller in a saddle). Over the past few years I found just what I needed. Now I tie many of my patterns with this hackle.

Thread; Brown.
Hook; Tiemco 102Y 17.
Hackle; Golden Speckled Badger.
Dubbing; Olive to Brown Olive with a touch of UV Brown dubbing.
Wing; Bull Elk.

Tie on hackle.


Add Olive dubbing with UV.


Make a couple thin wraps with dubbing in back of where you tied on the hackle.


Dub forward a tapered body leaving room for the Elk.


Wind the hackle forward. Here one can see the specks and black base that gives the flies body a buggy and segmented look.


Tie on the Elk and your ready to rock and roll.