ELK HAIR CADDIS

In the summer evenings, along all our mountain streams and rivers, huge numbers of white "moths" hover around the shrubs and over the water. They are sometimes so thick that they look like a snowstorm hence the popular name "Snowflake Caddis". These flies are in fact not a moth at all but a true aquatic fly, a species of Caddis. In England they are often referred to as a "Sedge" since they hover around the sedge bushes on the river banks. One rarely sees the caddis floating on the surface like the Mayfly. Unlike the mayfly, which must dry its wings before it can fly, the caddis is ready to fly as soon as it emerges. In spite of this the elk hair caddis will still take fish when fished dry,upstream.

As dusk approaches, try fishing the Elk Hair Caddis downstream, lifting the rod and skittering the fly towards you simulating a hatching caddis stuck in its shuck and struggling to free itself. Strikes are usually hard, often resulting in break-offs if the line is held too tightly.

Hook: TMC100 or similar size 10-18
Thread: Black
Tail: None Body: Dubbed "Fine and Dry" same colour as wing.
Hackle: Palmered cock hackle same colour as wing.
Wing: Elk hair, bleached, natural, brown or black.

1: Lay a bed of thread from eye of hook to the bend.
2: Tie in cock hackle of appropriate colour, tip first.
3: Dub body to within one eye length from eye of hook.
4: Wind hackle along body to end of dubbing and tie off.
5: Take a bunch of elk hair, do not stack it, and tie in so that tips are just past the bend of the hook. Tie in tightly on top of the hackle so that the butt ends of the elk hair flair upwards above the eye of the hook. tie off and whip finish.
6: Trim the butt ends of the elk hair to form the head of the fly as in the photo.
7: A dab of head cement and you're ready to GO FISHING!

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