I recently saw a video of this pattern. The originator is re-naming it ?Calf tail Caddis. .
It is tied by tying in some kip tail with the butt ends extending over the hook bend, and then doubling over the hair tips to the rear as well; then cutting.
He claims the calf tail hair floats better and longer than deer/elk hair. He omits the Hackle as he prefers the low riders, and floats well without it.
I just add a few sprigs of UV pearl ice dub.
Byron,
Looks like it wold leave a decent footprint.
Byron,
been tying something similar to this since around 2001,
hook: dairiki 125
thread: light brown
abdomen; olive snow shoe
wing: light dun snowshoe
head:brown superfine dubbing
vary the abdomen color to match the hatch. this one is for American grannom. use insect green superfine dubbing for abdomen to match green caddis, and amber superfine or tan snowshoe dubbing for tan caddis.
floats like a cork
I’ve used snowshoe as well.
Guy who created the Broomstick did so back in 80’s I think, and uses calf tail.
He was fishing near Roscoe, NY. Fell in and all his flies were lost/ruined. That night in s hotel room, he only had calf tail for tying, so he tied Caddis using that material and had been fishing such since then.
I have tied the same fly with either Widow’s Web or EP Fibers as the wing. I wonder if the calf tail floats any better?
Joe
Not sure Joe.
That fellow mentioned having done so with Zelon as well.
So many alternatives. Marc Pettijean famously uses CDC for a fine looking Caddis.
Personally, I prefer some sort of natural hair, whether it be deer, elk, or calf tail.
I’m not a big stickler about natural vs. synthetic. What ever works better or is easier to work with is good by me. I think I saw that video (John Wilson?) and he doesn’t zoom in very close on the fly. I would think folding the calf tail back would cause a fairly big bump?
Joe
Bit of a bump, that’s why he ties it in at about the thorax as opposed to usual positioning right behind the eye.
Yes, John Wilson, the Canadian.
i have been experimenting with poly yarn, the last few years, snowshoe got hard to come by. the poly works ok, but not as good as snowshow. used a lot of kip tail over the years, for wings on wulff patterns and hair winged wets. really surprised that its floating a dry pattern.
learn something new every day
The “crinkly” fibers are supposed to trap air.
Will give them a shot this summer
Here is an illustrated post about making the caddis…called the Wilson Caddis or the Broomstick Caddis…
Thankyou very kindly for the conversation about the fly…I went off Facebook and Youtube and now this blog is my perfected information about the fly…hope you find it interesting and have a great summer on the stream…sincerely John
