I’ve been tying my caddis, over the years, with both…probably more with deer hair.
My most trusted (accessible) tier these days is Bucky McCormick of Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone. So, I needed some things today and called their shop. Bucky answered the phone. Now Bucky ties around 900 dozen flies a year for their shop.
I asked him what his preference was in tying Caddis patterns. He said he really likes Cow Elk Hair. He was good enough to go over to their great hair bins and select several nice patches which I intend to use in the near future.
Forgot to mention in the preface to my question that Hans Weilenmann has done a lot to popularize the caddis patterns with his CDC & Elk which is tied with deer hair…just to give a great tier his kudos.
Elk for me, too. In Charlie Craven’s Basic Fly Tying, Charlie goes into detail about the different types of elk hair, their distinct characteristics and when he uses them. Very informative.
Most of it for many years was regional. You live in the east coast…most of your patterns were deer hair. West coast…you had both readily available. Not so much any more though. I use deer a lot. But the stiffness and texture of hair I want for an EHC?..I don’t think it is found on any deer during any season. Not to say you can’t tie them with deer hair. Just my druthers.
One of my favorites is Early Season Cow Elk from Nature’s Spirit. This hair is a bit stiffer than deer and other elk hair I used and does not flare too much under pressure. That also works well for wings and tails on Humpies and Wulff type flies
Since I do more smaller-sized flies, like #16 down to #20 my prefs tend towards deerhair. I bought a few good patches from Chris Helm some years back and like them a lot.
Maybe it’s time to try some Elk as I have a large swatch given to me some years back from a friend from the old VFS forum. Great stuff and it gets used but I use mostly deer hair in smaller flies.
A couple of you boys regularly post some really fine ties and I will say, it’s stimulating for me -one who has trouble sitting still at the vise for very long! It’s appreciated.
Han’s deer and CDC is one of my go to flies and I tye many in different colors because of that I use deer. I do like the fineness of deer hair. I have never given a thought about stiffness though something I may consider in the future.
My Clacka Caddis and BRF-style cripple patterns all use Widow’s Web (which is basically the same stuff as Congo Hair or EP Fibers, I use whatever brand has the color I want). Pics on Parks’ Fly Shop’s site, vids on Youtube. I basically only use elk on CDC & Elks now, and that’s only for the Firehole caddis. I’m even tying small Stimulator-types with this material now.
I tie the CDC and Elk with deer hair like Hans W. showed me at one of very early International Fly Tying Symposiums. When I started tying the pattern 20 or so years ago, I stopped by a now defunct local fly shop looking for patches of deer hair. The owner asked if I was planning on tying a lot of caddis. Told him yes. He suggested rather than buying a bunch of different deer hair pieces I should pick up a deer’s mask since the hair colors on the mask would cover most caddis patterns. Cost me $12 and lasted several years. I’m still working off the last one I brought from English Angling Trappings. It cost me $15 and was twice the size of the original.
Off the subject, a little, but a true story. I once took a day long tying class from Jack Dennis. Dennis is known for tying deer hair patterns of all kinds. Anyway, he tied with a deer hide laid over his lap! He could pick any type deer hair he wanted…
Very interesting Walter. I do tie and like your Clacka Caddis. Obviously, you prefer elk for the CDC & Elk over deer, just wonder what drives your choice there.
