Caddisflies, or order Trichoptera, are a group of insects with aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults. Tying instructions by Barry Ord Clarke
Probably the last big fly of the season. The October caddis can make a great end to the season, these huge caddis flies make a big slash and are eagerly taken by trout that are approaching the spawn. This pattern … Continue reading October Caddis dry fly
This cripple/stillborn caddis is a sure thing during a caddis hatch. The new Mustad Heritage Alpha Point R43AP # 10 is the perfect hook for this pattern with its 3XL shank and extra fine wire. Tie it in any size … Continue reading Cripple/stillborn caddis
Currently one of the most popular caddis patterns, that has a couple of interesting techniques. Holy Grail Caddis/Sedge pattern Hook: Mustad C49S # 12-16Bead: 2.8 mm tungsten slottedTying thread: Sheer 14/0 BrownRib: UTC Mirage OpalBody: Hares ear dubbingWing case: Pheasant … Continue reading Holy Grail Caddis/sedge pupa
An extremely buoyant caddis pattern with a special CDC parachute hackle technique, that ticks all the boxes. Tied in a little larger sizes it doubles as a great stonefly and with legs makes an exceptional hopper! CDC para-weld caddis/sedge pattern … Continue reading CDC para-weld caddis/sedge dry fly
One of the classic generic nymphs. Although originally designed to imitate a cased caddis fly, the Zug Bug has proven its effectiveness over many decades. Well worth tying up a few in # 10-16. Zug Bug pattern recipe Hook: Mustad … Continue reading Zug Bug
A little variant of the LaFontaine classic. An absolute must have pattern if you are fishing still water caddis fly hatches. Here I demonstrate a good technique for getting the Antron shuck in place. Deep sparkle pupa variant pattern recipe … Continue reading Deep sparkle pupa variant
Continuing the quick flies to tie,the PDQ (pretty damn quick) caddis will not only float all day long, but it also takes under 4 minutes to tie! This very simple technique, uses a single natural CDC hackle and a small … Continue reading PDQ Caddis/Sedge dry fly
A little cased caddis fly larva that is extremely simple to tie. You can mix and match the hook size and colour of hackles used to match the debris that the larva use in your your local waters. Stick fly … Continue reading Stick fly larva
A quick but effective pattern for one of the last large bugs of the year. An easy tie with a couple of good techniques that can be used in other patterns. October Caddis/sedge fly pattern recipe Hook: Mustad R43 # … Continue reading October Caddis/sedge fly
A great pattern when the trout are selective. Only basic materials are needed for this ‘ must have’ pattern for the caddis specialist, that can be fished static or as a skater. An easy fly to tie with a couple … Continue reading How to tie the Poly wing caddis
When the egg layers are active your waders can be a popular place to deposit the eggs! Its that time of year when an egg laying caddis is an essential addition to your fly box! Heres an easy pattern that … Continue reading Egg laying caddis/sedge dry fly
A great little skating caddis pattern from Charlie Craven, tied with elk hair. The forward wing pushes a whole load of water when its pulled through the surface. Buy MUSTAD signature hooks Buy VENIARD product on AMAZON:Fly tying tools and … Continue reading Screaming banshee caddis pattern
This egg depositing caddis is a great pattern when the egg laying females are on the water. A simple tie that can be a game changer. Continue reading Egg laying caddis dry fly
This is a variant of the original John Juracek’s & Craig Mathews pattern of a little egg laying caddis. In smaller sizes it also works well when midge fishing. Pheasant tail X-Caddis/Sedge pattern recipe Hook: Ahrex FW501 #14Tail: Z-LonBody: Pheasant … Continue reading Pheasant tail X-Caddis/Sedge
A nice technique for making a CDC body, without coming in conflict with the under body of the fly. This makes the body fish deep under the surface but keep the wing high and dry. Continue reading Double D caddis/sedge
An unusual peacock and deer hair pattern with a double wing. Originaly made to imitate a caddis fly the super bug is also a great searcher pattern, that will raise fish from their holding spots just about anywhere. Hook: Mustad … Continue reading Double super bug pattern
This is an old but reliable pattern used especially in fast riffles and for searching pocket water. Peacock elk hair Caddis pattern recipe Hook: Mustad R30 # 14 Tying thread: Black 6/0 Body: Peacock herl Wing: Elk hair Hackle: 1 … Continue reading Peacock elk hair caddis
A real quick and simple pattern that works wonders under caddis hatches, pulled long and slow just under the surface. Have a great Sunday Friends! Thanks for watching and please remember to subscribe to the feather benders You Tube channel, … Continue reading How to tie Partidge caddis emerger
When large wood ants swarm on the warmest summer days the trout go on a feeding frenzy. This is one of those patterns that you just can’t do without. Simple but realistic and quick to tie. Flying wood ant fly … Continue reading Flying wood ant fly
This is a model pattern for most mayfly nymphs, all you need to do is change the hook size and material colour to imitate a whole number of different nymphs. A good pattern to know! Hook: Mustad S82 # 8 … Continue reading Tying a model mayfly nymph
This is a pattern designed to show the pure versatility of deer hair! Tail, spun body and hackle all made from deer hair and nothing more. Three deer hair techniques that will for sure be helpful to you when tying … Continue reading Deer hair irresistible fly
I have had so many questions regarding the correct deer hair for tying the streaking caddis that I have made this little tutorial on deer hair and prep for the streaking caddis. Learn more about deer hair materialUltimate guide to … Continue reading Deer hair prep for streaking caddis
A get down deep house building caddis pattern that has to be one of the most productive weighted grayling patterns I know, along with a couple of neat tying techniques. Peeping caddis fly pattern recipe Hook: Mustad R75 # 8 … Continue reading Peeping caddis fly
This is a diving or egg laying caddis that is fished just under the surface with long slow pulls. The combination of partridge hackle and hen mallard breast feathers is a real fish attractor. Diving or egg laying caddis fly … Continue reading Diving or egg laying caddis fly
This is an old but still good and quick method for tying the knots in pheasant tail fibres for crane fly and hopper legs. Its like riding a bike once learnt never forgotten! Please remember to subscribe to the feather benders You Tube channel: Continue reading Daddy’s legs – knots in pheasant tail
Another deer hair technique that shows you how to make spun deer hair bodies with the use of a dubbing loop. Learn more about deer hair materialUltimate guide to deer hair part 1Ultimate guide to deer hair part 2Ultimate guide … Continue reading Spinning deer hair in a dubbing loop
This is yet another parachute technique with a twist! A very satisfying method of finishing a traditional parachute hackle that also equips the pattern with a quick sight indicator. Hook: Mustad R30 # 12 Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 black Tail: … Continue reading How to tie Poly weld para dry fly
This is a priceless little trick for improving the grip of most hackle pliers substantially! Continue reading Improving your hackle pliers!
The feather benders home grown and hand crafted fly tyers wax scull’s. It’s not that long ago that pre-waxed tying thread was not readily available, and tyers, especially of the more classic stile patterns resorted to various types of wax to make tying more easy and the natural threads such as cotton and silk more durable. Because the majority of tying threads available today are pre-waxed, the practice of waxing your own tying thread has been somewhat neglected or almost forgotten for most fly tyers. Apart from the obvious advantages as mentioned above, waxing your own thread makes easy work … Continue reading A new batch of sculls now available…
My Shove, Shave, Singe and Sand technique for the tightest deer hair bodies.Probably the most frequent question I am asked at shows and demos is how do I get my small deer hair bodies so tight. Well heres my secret … Continue reading Shove,Shave,Singe and Sand Technique for deer hair bodies
Its been a few days since my last post, so I thought I would get things going again with a truly modern classic, the Klinkhåmer. When I have held fly tying demos and courses for both beginners and advanced tyers … Continue reading Klinkhammer fly Special
The G & H sedge, as it was originally named was created by John Goddard and Cliff Henry. John Goddard who died last December was one of the great innovators of fly tying. This is a small tribute to one … Continue reading Goddard Caddis – G & H Sedge
It’s been a while, but I am back, and posting more patterns after a busy season photographing and fishing, where I have been testing new patterns and materials that I will be writing about later. I have also visited some … Continue reading CdC deer hair caddis – Marc Petitjean
Keeping on the theme of melt glue I thought I would show you this pattern that has a little different technique than the Mutant. Here I combine the material into the melt glue. It does take a little practice and time to master these melt glue techniques but the results are worth it! For more general info on caddis pupa take a look at the Bee Cee caddis in the archive. Melt Glue Caddis Pupa: Hook: Mustad C49SNP-BR # 12-8 Thread: Dyneema Body: Melt Glue Gills/rib: Olive Ostrich herl Thorax/Head: Black and brown Antron dubbing and CdC Continue reading Melt Glue Caddis Pupa
This next fly in the course is the X Caddis pattern. This is a no hackle dry fly that floats extremely well because of the natural buoyancy of the deer hair and Antron tail. I can´t recommend the X-caddis enough. … Continue reading X Caddis pattern
This is a tutorial I made with my good friend Marc Petitjean to demonstrate how he uses the magic tool and a few other CdC techniques he has up his sleeve. If you are not familiar with Marc’s tools and … Continue reading CdC tutorial with Marc Petitjean part 1
Elk Hair Caddis pattern is from the tying bench of well know American fly tyer Al Troth. This is probably the most well known caddis pattern in existence, and rightly so. The Elk Hair Caddis as it is also known … Continue reading Elk Hair Caddis
My pale yellow mayfly imitation that was easy to see on the dark water, drifted perfectly 7-8 metres from the boat, quickly approaching two rolling grayling in the next pool, that we had had our eyes on for the last 80 metres or so, drift. When without warning another, previously unseen fish rose from the depths of a dark pool and enthusiastically disappeared with my mayfly. Espen began pulling on the oars to slow our decent and dropped the anchor. I lifted my rod and it immediately assumed the golden arch position with the grayling diving deep into the pool. … Continue reading Drift boat fishing in Trysil whit Petitjean
House building caddis larva are available in most waters all year round, and are an important segment of the diet of trout and grayling. There are many techniques that have been developed over the years from fly tying benches all over the world to imitate the house of the caddis larva, but this technique really gives the right impression. This is a pattern I believe was developed in the US, but other than that I cant find any other information about it. The great thing about this pattern is if you trim the rubber legs close to the body you … Continue reading Elasticaddis in the house!
After a short drive, south east from reykjavik, a small farm road leads us the last few kilometers to the fishing lodge at Minnivallækur, the weather was perfect, for September. A little overcast, with small patches of blue, a slight breeze and 14 degrees “dry fly fishing was written all over the sky. Jan and I where so hyped, we could almost hear heavy brown trout rolling in the surface and sucking in size 22 midges, over the sound of the engine of our four wheel drive hire car. But in true Icelandic fashion, by the time we had pulled … Continue reading Minnivallalækur Icelands prehistoric monster trout
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