How To Tie: The Jigged CDC Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail
CDC is an exceptional natural material that elevates any fly pattern. When you combine CDC with a classic Pheasant Tail … Continue reading How To Tie: The Jigged CDC Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail
Author: Brady Laehr
How To Tie: The Cactus Cased Caddis
For me thinking about what I was going to use to tie a fly to imitate the cased caddis was fairly daunting. A bug that covers itself in natural materials like rocks and sticks from the bottom of the river creating a natural camo seemed very difficult to imitate most of the time using dubbing. That is until I was turned on to this pattern. The look created by burning the root beer cactus chenille is perfect! You can burn the material slightly more or less to get some different colors/shades to match your specific river bottom. This is a great point fly when nymph fishing.
How To Tie: The Simple X Caddis
The X Caddis is a wonderfully simple pattern created by Craig Matthews. This fly is a great option when fishing the onset of a caddis hatch as it is intended to imitate a caddis that has broken free of its shuck with a full wing but still has the remains stuck to its body. If your classic Elk Hair isn’t working just yet this fly is probably the ticket.
How To Tie: The Circus Peanut | Anniversary Fly
Today is a very special day for us. Our fly tying instructor, Brady, has now taught 52 different fly tying patterns! We have reached a full year of video tutorials! Wow! Please let Brady know how you have enjoyed these videos in the comments or on social media. We would love to hear your feedback. Thank you for watching and fly tying with us and continue to look for more videos every Tying Tuesday! Learn More “How To Tie: The Circus Peanut | Anniversary Fly”
How To Tie: The EC Caddis
Created by Ralph Cutter this is a great option when fish get tired of seeing the good old standby Elk Hair Caddis. Properly named (EC for emergent/cripple) this fly is intended to imitate a caddis that is struggling to break the surface film on the water during its emergence. The propped up elk hair wing with hackle wrapped around it in a post method gives a really unique and life like look. This method also allows the elk hair and hackle to ride above the surface film while the main body of the fly can slip beneath. Making it a perfect imitation for when the caddis emergence is just breaking out of the water.
How To Tie: The Trico Spinner
With July and August come the Trico hatches triggering the slow repetitive subtle rises from trout. It may seem as though they are rising to nothing but they can see these tiny insects perfectly. Because of the tiny size this can be a tough fly to fish. Try fishing it behind a small indicator like the Palsa Pinch On or trailing another larger dry like the Goddard Caddis we featured last week.
How To Tie: The Goddard Caddis
Need a caddis fly that floats nice and high? Look no further than the Goddard Caddis. This dry fly floats like a cork! Created by two English fly tiers and fishers John Goddard and Clive Henry in the early ’60’s this fly is a must have in. With a full body of spun / flared elk hair it is a great pattern to throw in faster moving water or if you need to give some twitchy action to encourage strikes but don’t want to continually sink/cure your fly. I like to fish it solo or along with a smaller trailing dry fly behind it.
How to Tie: The Chernobyl Ant
The Chernobyl Ant is where it all began. When closed cell foam hit the craft stores so did fly tyers looking for a new material to make large juicy dry flies. From there the development of the Chernobyl bugs has taken off and for good reason. This simple Chernobyl Ant may not look much like a bug to our fishing eyes, but to a subsurface trout it is meaty goodness! This is a great attractor fly all on its own or with a hefty dropper fly.
How to Tie: The Barr’s Graphic Caddis
John Barr has done it again. This Caddis Pupa / Emerger is an awesome looking fly for both fly fishers and fish. It’s tied in a couple of color variations, but the one we featured here is a bright green with a silver hot spot that is sure to attract fish. This is a wonderful pattern during the late spring and summer months when caddis activity is at its peak. Fish it as a dropper, on the swing, or in an indicator nymph rig to get hooked up!
How to Tie: The Parachute Madam X (PMX)
Who else out there is ready to throw dry flies! The Parachute Madam X is one that I love to get out on the water when I have the chance. PMX for short, this fly is a variation of the classic Madam X. The PMX has an added Parachute post with the hackle wrapped around it in the same method of a Parachute Adams, which helps with both visibility and buoyancy. This is a great pattern to utilize when there are lots of summer bugs out and about whether it’s large stoneflies or hoppers. There’s nothing like getting a big trout to look up at a large dry fly!