Trucos de montaje

Caddisfly
 By Steven H. McGarthwaite

The Caddisfly Handbook
I am going to the 'FAOL Fish In' at Hancock, New York. And researching hatch patterns, noticed that Caddisflies were on the menu. I have recipes for Caddisflies, but none really impressed me as a true look like the real thing. Then one day while shopping at the bookstore, (the discount one not the Book-R-Us chains), I found a gem of a book on Caddisflies.

The book is titled, The Caddisfly Handbook" (an Orvis Streamside Guide), by Dick Pobst & Carl Richards (Published by Lyons Press). The suggested retail price is $19.95.

This book is detailed, yet simple and Chapter 7 cuts to the chase (K.I.S.S.). There are only 7 Caddisfly patterns required to represent all Caddis hatches. The Caddisflies are tied with basically the same recipe, the only difference is the hook size and color of material. The flies are easy to tie, and are some of the buggiest most realistic Dry Caddisflies I have ever seen. And you most likely can not buy them in any fly shop.

The basic premise of the fly recipe, is that you will be using Hen Feathers, or Partridge Feathers for the wing.

Steps 1 - 8

    1. The feather is affixed to a piece of Scotch Tape. I did this by pulling long enough piece of tape off, and two short pieces. Laying the long piece on a cardboard, and affixing the ends so the long piece was taunt and sticky side up.

    2. I then pressed the tip of the feather to the tape, the holding my finger down on the tip of the feather, I stretched the feather until the stem was straight, and then affixed the other end.

    3. Then gently pressed down along the whole length of the feather to assure contact between the tape and the feather.

    4. Once I had taped the number of feathers to tape, I then coated the feathers with a Fleximent or Seal-All.

    NOTE: Never use clear nail polish for this, it dries too quickly and will curl the feather so your fly will look like it is wearing a "Flying Nuns" hat. Also the nail polish seems not to aid in adhering the feather to the tape.

    5. At this time you would have your hook in the vise, tie in the locking wrap, add dubbing to the stem of the hook in a caddis body shape to 2/3 the hook shaft length. You are now ready to attach the Caddis Wing to the hook.

    6. Once the feather with the coating of Fleximent is dry, fold the feather in half on the axis of the stem.

    7. Now we get to the shaping of the Caddisfly Wing. Holding the folded wing by the base of the feather, cut the rear portion of the wing, towards the tip end of the feather. The reason for this, is that the segments are oriented in that direction.

    8. Placing the Caddis Wing over the hook to size the wing, and cut the wing to proper length. Note: The Caddis wing should extend out past the end of the hooks curve.

    9. We now have two cuts left to do on the wing. First holding the wings by the stem towards the rear of the wing ( if you have fat fingers, like I do, use tweezers or hackle pliers). Cut a diagonal shape to the folded wing, to a slim triangular shape. Then with your scissor nip the rear edge of the folded wing to round the edge of the wing.

    Step 8

    10. At this time wrap your thread up to the eye of the hook. Holding the wing in position, wrap the wing toward the rear, until firmly affixed and secure with a couple of half-hitches.

    11. Then at the half-hitches, attach your hackle and wrap the hackle to the rear of the hook, with the last wrap forward, secure wraps of thread with a couple of half -hitches.

    Almost Done

    12. If you wish, antenna's can be added at this time. Just hold two Chinese Boar Hair, or Micro-Filaments, sticking thru the hackle and secure forward with thread wraps. Secure the antennas with a whip finish back to the hackle on the Caddis Fly.

    13. Here is where the buggy look comes in. Holding the rear portion of the antennas, between finger and bodkin needle, curl the antennas. (Bodkin needle on top, finger on bottom of antennas).

    14. Clip rear portion of antennas off and cement head to lock in thread.

Finished Fly

I was talking with RK in the FAOL's Angler's Hut Chat Room, and he said Oliver Edwards, uses this method of Caddisfly wing construction in his fly tying book. But instead of Scotch Tape he uses Panty Hose. Panty Hose, Nail Polish, & Tweezers? Well! At least you will never see me, writing a column in Tying Tips, about "The Importance of a Good Manicure"! Well, on second thought hangnails sure can catch on the tying thread.

Please check out the Fly Tying Section, on the Bulletin Board, on FAOL too.

If you have any questions, tips, or techniques; send them along. Someone else thought up most of this material before we did, they just forgot to tell anyone about it. Or else we just forgot about it, while learning something else. Let us share with each other, all the things we know! ~ Steven H. McGarthwaite (Chat Room AKA Parnelli)

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