1st Annual N.G.T.O. Fly Swap

Fly photos courtesy of Michael Lim.

Elk Hair Caddis

from the vise of John "JR" Richardson

     Hook;  size 14 dry fly

Thread:  Olive 6/0

  Body:  olive dubbing

   Wing:  blond elk hair

Hackle:  brown

I like to keep it simple.  Wind thread on to hook.  Wrap back to hook
bend.  Apply dubbing, wind one or two turns of dubbing towards hook
eye.  Tie in hackle.  Wind dubbing to hook eye.  Wind hackle to eye, tie
in, then trim excess.  Clip hackle on top of hook shank.  This makes
applying the wing easier.  Select and clean a clump of elk hair.  Lay on
top of hook shank, place the hair tips at the bend of the hook, then
attach by making a couple of loose thread loops.  Keep the elk hair held
tightly between fingers to keep it on top of hook shank.   Apply tighter
turns of thread to make the elk hair flare.  Pull up tag ends of the elk
hair and wind a few turns of thread under the tag ends.   Tie off
thread.  Trim tag ends to form a small head.

Fishing:  The size 14 works well in faster water and smaller streams.  I
fish them like I do other dries, which more often than not means poorly.

The attached photo is an upper Chattooga (above Burrell's Ford) rainbow
I caught on an elk hair I tied.

JR

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