elk hair caddis: hackle or no?

[passlake]

Do you tie elk hair caddis with a hackle or not. Do you think it makes a difference.
I have tried both and I have not noticed a difference in fish catching abilities. The no hackle version is almost too quick to tie. I love it.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

I haven't tied an elk hair caddis in so long I don't remember. I use the CDC and Elk ( http://www.danica.com/flytier/steps/cdcelk/cdcelk.htm ) for almost all my caddis imitations now. Easy to tie and very, very effective.

[Eric-WD]

Magazine article (I think could have been online) recently re this vary matter, Author tied and fished both ways, when he wanted to break the surface tension and float low he used hackle less. faster water or top feeding he used hackle.

Both work


Eric

[kengore]

I fish a lot of fast mountian streams and I find the palmered hackle is essential for the fly to float. However my current favorite version is the CDC & elk hair caddis. It uses a CDC feather for the body and no hackle. Very simple to tie, very durable, it floats like a cork and the fish love it!

Here is a link to the recipe...

http://www.danica.com/flytier/steps/cdcelk/cdcelk.htm

[passlake]

Thanks for the link. I will tie some up for fishing rainbows next Sunday.

[JohnScott]

I haven't used an ehc for ages. When I did use them, I consistently tied them with hackle. Mostly fished them dry on fairly fast, rough water. The hackle helps in that regard, also for skating them during caddis egg laying periods, which I believe was the original purpose of the hackle.

The past couple years I have been using the Harrop's Henry's Fork Caddis in the original CDC wing version and a variation with a dark deer hair wing. That fly has been excellent. It wants to ride low, which makes it a great emerger / cripple, or an adult, or a spent caddis. Simple to tie**, floats very well with either CDC or the deer hair wing, and very durable. The CDC version is a bit difficult to see, so I tie a poly yarn post for visibility.

I've heard of the CDC and Elk before but not seen a description or tying instructions before the link posted by Ron and Ken. Looks like a great fly. I do have one question - if he uses deer hair, WHY IS IT CALLED CDC AND ELK ?? Me thinks I'll be tying up some of these soon - CDC and Deer, that is.

John

** Tie in a biot and wrap forward to mid shank for abdomen. Tie in CDC or deer hair for wing, long enough to go past the bend of the hook. Tie in peacock herl and grizzly hackle. Wrap herl forward and tie off. Wrap hackle forward and tie off. Create small head with tying thread and whip finish.

[ScottP]

Do you tie elk hair caddis with a hackle or not. Do you think it makes a difference.
I have tried both and I have not noticed a difference in fish catching abilities. The no hackle version is almost too quick to tie. I love it.

Add a zelon shuck and you have an X-Caddis.

Regards,
Scott

[Cold]

The past couple years I have been using the Harrop's Henry's Fork Caddis in the original CDC wing version and a variation with a dark deer hair wing.

http://wcflies.com/blog/2009/03/henrys-fork-caddis/

Like that?

[fritz]

I too have been tying the EHC with CDC. Simple and effective

[Darryl]

I do tie my Elk Hair Caddis with hackle. I prefer the heavily hackled fly because the hackle allows me to "skitter" the fly across the water. For somewhat slower water I use the X-Caddis, which is essentially an EHC without hackle and an added Z-lon shuck.