Elk-Hair Caddis HOOK: #10-#18 standard dry fly (Mustad R30 shown). THREAD: Olive 70-denier Ultra thread. RIB: Fine gold wire. BODY: Caddis Green Ice dubbing. HACKLE: Brown. WING: Light-colored elk hair.

Al Troth's Elk-hair Caddis is one of the most widely used fly patterns in the United States, and his simple and elegant technique of tying a hair wing has been modified and adapted to suit hundreds of other patterns including Randall Kaufmann's Stimulator and Hot Butt Caddis series, Hans Weilenman's CDC&Elk, and Craig Mathews' X Caddis. Even Rene Harrop's series of hairwing duns (mayflies) use a similar style of wing but with deer hair instead of elk, because it flares more and gives a more upright wing profile. [Click here to learn to tie Hans Weilenmann's CDC&Elk. The Editor.]

Dubbing, hackle, and wing color can vary widely on this pattern. Try wrapping a peacock herl body instead of dubbing. A yellow body with grizzly hackle makes a good Yellow Sally imitation. A dark elk or deer hair wing is harder to see in some lighting conditions but makes a better imitation of early season Brachycentrus caddis than the light wing in the standard elk-hair caddis.

CLICK HERE for a detailed video on how to tie an Elk Hair Caddis.

Tying Steps

Step 1. Attach the thread to the hook. Tie in the wire rib.

Step 2. Dub a slim body covering ¾ of the hook shank.

Step 3. Size, prepare, and tie in a brown hackle in front of the dubbing. On down-wing patterns where the hackle is palmered over the length of the body the hackle should be about the same length as the width of the hook gape.

Step 4. Make three close touching turns with the hackle and then make evenly space spiral wraps to the end of the body. Holding the hackle in place with one hand, counter-wrap the rib forward in even spirals to secure the hackle stem. "Weave" the wire back and forth as you wrap to avoid catching hackle fibers with the wire. If you do catch any, you can pluck them out from under the wire later.

Step 5. Select, clip, and stack a small clump of light-colored elk hair. Trim the base of the hair so the wing will be about the same length as the hook shank or slightly shorter. Make two loose wraps of thread over the butts of the elk hair just behind the hook eye, and then two tighter wraps to cinch down the hair and create the flared elk-hair wing and head. Using your fingernail, lift the butts of the hair head into a vertical position, and then weave one or two wraps of thread down between the fibers, and then make one wrap on the bare hook shank under the hair. Whip-finish behind the hook eye under the hair.

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