I was recently touting what I consider to be the best dry fly caddis pattern I have ever fished. It is the X-Caddis series (Although I incorporate a few long UV pearl dub strands in the ones I tie).
I believe it was Whatfly who mentioned a parachute version. I assume he was referring to the E/C Caddis.
Mr. Cutter explains why he came up with this pattern. The name “E/C Caddis” refers to “Emergent/Cripple Caddis”:
“From an underwater vantage using SCUBA gear I could see the palmered hackle produced a distinctly [i]un-caddis like impression on the surface. The pattern perked upright on the water where true emerging caddis sprawled across the surface as they spread their legs out across the water trying to leverage their trapped bodies from the shuck. I changed the traditional palmered hackle to a parachute wrap around the base of the wing and it produced not only an excellent impression of the crippled caddis, but also the best pattern Ive ever come up with. Since it was published in 1981 many people have copied and changed the pattern only to come back to the original style. I continue to play with it but have yet to find a way to make it better.”
This is my representation of Cutter’s pattern which I have used and had success with, although, I have had better success with the X-Caddis patterns:
[SIZE=4]I think it is very interesting that neither the X-Caddis patterns have palmered hackle. Both also use a trailing shuck of Zelon (or similar “glistening” material), influenced, I am sure by Gary LaFontaine’s work on Caddis flies. My version of the X-Caddis series:
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Granted, this might be of no interest to some, but I do find the thinking behind popular patterns and their design thought process to be [/i]interesting.
Byron,
As I mentioned a month or so ago, Hans Von Klinken’s Para Poly Sedge (http://www.flytierspage.com/hklinken/parapoly_sedge.htm) was far and away the most productive dry fly pattern I have used this summer and fall. Putting a trailing shuck on the pattern neither increased nor decreased the strikes, so I have eliminated it now. It has a parachute hackle like the patterns you prefer. There may be something to Cutter’s theory.
Joe,
Looks like a good pattern. I am wondering, though, about a trailing shuck not making a difference.
Most insects which struggle to escape the meniscus seem to be “trapped” in their own shuck which trails them. Seems to present a “trigger” to trout as it tells them the insect is vulnerable. It seems to be incorporated in some of the most widely celebrated cripple patterns…Caddis or mayfly.
It also serves, in some patterns, as extra stability and as a provider of extra buoyancy.
I take your word for it on the polypara sedge. I wonder, though, more generally as to the triggering effect of a “glistening” shuck.
Planettrout, you beat me to the pointing out that to be a true E/c caddis it has to have 2 colors. I will never know what the trout think but to me the 2 color thing must have something to it. The Barr emerger is another example of flies that use 2 colors and somehow it just seems to work.
Byron you could, with a little impressionism, think of the trailing shucks you like on your caddis and comparaduns as a second color. I don’t know why it is but it seems to me when I have some kind of color shift in my flies they seem to work better than a single color.
Guys,
Thanks. I did see that Cutter uses the bi-color abdomen/thorax scheme.
Should have followed his pattern more closely or mentioned my deviation. I would mention that the first time I fished one, I purchased it in the West Yellowstone area and it was a singular color and it worked well for me. I stopped at other shops, when I lost that one, and couldn’t find any at several shops.
Thanks gents, for pointing these variations on the E/C Caddis out and all the subsequent discussion. If I had anything relevant to add I surely would but sometimes it’s best just to shut up and listen.
The X-Caddis is a personal fav. of mine too and variations on the theme are appreciated and will be more than simply noted here, I’ll take them down to my tying room this winter and give them a try.
My trouble is I have so many left over from last year and my fly boxes are basically still full of patterns that I’m feeling a love for that I’ll just have to pick and choose and set up a box of “extra’s” just so I can vary them up a bit. But I will!!
Great topic Byron. I want to buy that new vise just for this winter (and get rid of a couple others) but I’m having trouble with a couple fly rods eating at me of late. Such problems…
Martin, Sweet, simple and well done. I always thought of the HC caddis as a pattern local to CA. Guess not! What size hook did you use for that one?
Byron,
Another nice one there. Love the contrast in the body. What dubbing are you using? I believe I used ginger antron and olive Fly Rite poly on the one shown.
I see one thing I’ve been doing wrong all of these years is making the thorax section darker than the abdomen. In other words using 2 body colors. It seems the thorax is always a darker color. I’ve been reminded of that by your ties. Thanks
Eric Otzinger designed the Hot Creek Caddis while he was working at Bob Marriott’s Shop. It has been featured twice in the Long Beach Casting Club’s Newsletter (PDF - Scroll down)
It works in a lot of other places besides HC. Mike Mercer’s Missing Link is another good one, which is similar to Ralph’s E/C Caddis. In his original article in Fly Fisherman Magazine in March 2010, Mercer mentions using the pattern during a Fall BWO hatch on the Firehole…worked for him - go figure…
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