Deer Hair (Trude) Caddis or Elk Hair Caddis?

[dixieangler]

I have thought a lot about why LMB jump all over my Deer Hair (Trude) Caddis (See Dick Stewart's "Bass Flies") but not the same response from an Elk Hair Caddis. I believe the legs on mayflies and caddis extending from the thorax (or head area) rather than the abdomen has something to do with it.

Anyone had similar experience or not?


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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

"Flip a fly"



[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 05 February 2005).]

[Buddy Sanders]

Robert,

I don't use such flies for bass, but I will hazard an opinion.

Likely the 'Trude' style moves more water and makes a larger 'commotion' when worked.

The EHC really is designed to 'skate' or 'skim' the water. The evenly distributed hackle will support the body mostly off the water, and cause it to lift up rather than dig in when you twitch or pull on it.

From what I can tell of the Trude style, the flat face of the hackle on the front will act more like an inefficient 'popper' when you twitch/pull it.

Just an opinion based on how they look, I've never seen a Trude Caddis up close, and I save the EHCs I tie for trout.

Good Luck!

Buddy

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[This message has been edited by Buddy Sanders (edited 06 February 2005).]

[dixieangler]

Good point, Buddy. I haven't considered that. I usually fish it like a dry fly. Don't twitch it much, just let it sit on the water and the LMB does the rest .

The Deer Hair (Trude) Caddis is just a dubbed light olive body with a natural deer hair wing parallel with and on top of the hook shank, and tied with a full dry fly ginger hackle collar. I use a size 8 Aberdeen hook with good results.

Hans at Danica has one here: [url=http://www.danica.com/flytier/pfrailey/deer_hair_caddis.htm:1c0c8]http://www.danica.com/flytier/pfrailey/deer_hair_caddis.htm[/url:1c0c8]

Here's another one of the same thing: [url=http://www.wellingtonflyfishers.org.nz/html/dry.html:1c0c8]http://www.wellingtonflyfishers.org.nz/html/dry.html[/url:1c0c8]

These don't have the light olive body though and are tied in much smaller sizes. Thanks for the input .


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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

"Flip a fly"

[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 06 February 2005).]

[Buddy Sanders]

Robert,

I probably shouldn't go here, but I'm really curious. Why would you fish such a fly for bass, especially in Florida?

I know it would work, heck, where you are, a piece of popsicle stick glued to a hook would work, but why a caddis fly of any kind?

Bass aren't known for their appetite for insects, except when they are little, although they will eat anything.

I'd just think that in the bass' home regions, you'd be fishing deer hair, foam poppers, big leech/worm/minnow patterns, etc.. Agressive stuff, you know, not trout flies, even BIG trout flies.

Anyway, I am curious.

Also, if you have the time/inclination, I have some flies I'd like someone to try in your area. If you want to send me an address, I'll send some to you if you'll 'test' them for me.

Thanks,

Buddy

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[dixieangler]

Buddy,

Oh, I fish the large flies too for LMB . But the Deer Hair Caddis is one that has worked far too often for me to overlook. Most of the LMB I have caught on it were not big that's true (juveniles only up to 3 or 4 lbs.). I also like to fish this fly where there are "educated" LMB that don't see such offerings. These can go larger than 3 or 4 lbs and have resorted to taking small insects due to having been caught on large offerings. Bream will bite it also so I get the best of both worlds. Hope that answers your question. Best LMB flies for big LMB have been standard flies mostly like green poppers with legs, black Wooly Buggers, Muddler Minnows, and Dave's Hopper.

I'm always testing some fly or other anyway. No problem. I'll e-mail you.


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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

"Flip a fly"



[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 07 February 2005).]

[drolfson]

Robert;

Looks a lot like a grasshopper to me. Especially on a size 8 aberdeen hook. Heck, after seeing it, I think I need to tie some like that for this summer. I am guessing that it looks even more like a hopper from below.

Just my dos centavos.

Don

[jalama]

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A STUPID QUESTION BUT DO YOY HAVE ANY TROUBLE GETTING THIS CREATION TO FLOAT USING ABERDEEN HOOKS? I ASSUME YOU MEAN THE W-M ABERDEEN HOOKS? HOW DO THEY DIFFER FROM "DRY FLY" HOOHS???

[dixieangler]

Jalama,

Both dry fly hooks and Aberdeen hooks are light wire hooks. Light wire hooks are ideal for me when I want to tie surface flies. Not a lot of weight to pull the fly down. The Deer Hair Caddis is fished like a dry fly. It is light and will dry between casts, not to mention that it has a deer hair wing to aid in floatation. Heavy wire hooks like wetfly and streamer hooks add weight to get the fly down but I can always add weight to "any" hook I want for subsurface flies.

drolfson,

The caddis in your home waters may not be size 8. They may be smaller like the sizes posted for the above patterns. If I were you, I would find out the sizes of the natural caddis before tying any caddis flies. The caddis are size 8 on my home waters but might not be on yours.

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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

"Flip a fly"



[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 08 February 2005).]

[Buddy Sanders]

Drolfson,

I doubt that the fish will differentiate between a large caddisfly and a grasshopper.

In the larger sizes, caddis fly 'patterns' and grasshopper 'patterns' can be amazingly similar.

Actually, if you eliminate the hackle altogether and add some flash material (I like chartruese or yellow krystal flash or poly yarn) before you tie on the wing, you'll have a VERY effective hopper 'as is'. Just leave the 'butt's' of the wing long, like on an EHC, and trim to a head like shape...

If you use a 'permanent' waterproofer (watershed or similar 'silicone' treatment) it will float all day...

Good Luck!

Buddy

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[BigCliff]

I would think that this fly in an 8 could imitate a Hopper, large moth, or even a cricket. we should keep in mind that the shape is obvious to the bass long before the color.