Claret caddis

 

Any time there are caddis on the wing this fly is worth a swim in the middle position of a team of three loch flies.

One of the most important things to remember when tying this fly is not to overdress it ... make sure you can see a gap between the two wings even when the rabbit fur is dry and fluffed out.

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Materials

Hook Thread Under-tail Over-tail Body Wings Bib
Size 10-14 (Tiemco 3769) Black Red hackle fibres Black calf tail hair Peacock herl dyed claret Tiewell silver gray rabbit zonker fur Red hackle fibres

Process

A
  1. Wind the thread in touching turns from the 95% position to the bend of the hook.
  2. Tie in an under-tail of just 4 or 5 red hackle fibres.
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B
  1. Tie in a substantial over-tail of calf tail hair and bind the butt ends along the top of the hook shank to form an under-body.
  2. The finished tail should be around as long as the hook.
  3. Trim the calf tail hair butt ends off at an angle at about the 45% position so there wont be an obvious ridge at the front of the under-body.
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C
  1. Select 2 or 3 peacock herl, depending on the quality of the herl and the size of the fly and tie them in toward the front of the under-body.
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D
  1. If you hold the herl above the hook as you wind back to the bend of the hook the tied in herl will be neatly positioned on top of the shank of the hook.
  2. Form the herl and the thread into a herl rope.

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E
  1. Wind the herl rope 1/3 of the way up the hook shank.
  2. Unwind the herl rope down to where it meets the hook shank and tie the herl off but do not trim the excess herl.
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F
  1. Select a section of zonker strip and with damp fingers stroke the fur away and at right angles to the skin.
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G
  1. Cut of enough zonker fur to represent the first wing. Using your nail and forefinger pinch off any longer hair fibres so that the tip of the wing is fuller with no wispy tips.
  2. Position the prepared wing on top of the fly with the tip of the wing facing slightly backward a distance equal to about half the length of the hook.
  3. Using the thread which was unwound from the herl rope lock that the wing into position with firm wraps of thread.
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H
  1. Re-form the herl rope.
  2. Wind the herl rope forward 2/3 of the way up the hook shank.
  3. Unwind the herl rope down to where it meets the hook shank and tie the herl off but do not trim the excess herl.
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I
  1. Following the same process as described for the first wing using the thread which was unwound from the herl rope tie in a second wing at the 2/3 position.
  2. Turn the hook over in the vice and at the 95% position tie in a beard 4 or 5 red hackle fibres that partially obscures the tip of the hook.
 claret-caddis-i

J
  1. Trim away the butt end of the red hackle fibres.
  2. Turn the fly right way up in the vice.
  3. Re-form the herl rope and take a couple of final wraps of the herl rope over where the red hackle beard is tied in taking care not to encroach on the eye of the hook.
  4. Unwind the herl rope again down to where it meets the hook shank and tie the herl off and this time trim away the excess herl.
  5. Build up a neat cone shaped thread head and whip finish.
  6. Varnish the head of the fly

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Last Updated: August 3, 2018
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Categories: Flies, Loch flies, My 'trout' lake wet fly box, Trout flies
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