Metallic Caddis

In keeping with the Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) theme, I decided on tying the Metallic Caddis for this step-by-step.  Not only is this pattern fast and simple to tie, but it performs wonderfully throughout the west where a quick descending nymph is required. 

The original three wire colors used for the body are copper, green, and red (that's all we had at the time), but the myriad of colors today could easily be used here.  Additionally, the CDC is optional, too.  However, utilizing CDC definitely adds more fish to the count!

Materials:

Hook:  Choice - I am tying on a Daiichi 1120, Sizes 10-16 (Pictured #10)
Bead:  Choice
Thread:  Black 8/0 or 10/0
Body:  UTC Wire (Pictured is size medium)
Collar:  Medium Dun CDC
Head:  Peacock

Step 1:

Using vise pinch barb and add bead.

Step 2:

Take several tight and close wraps of wire along hook shank.

Break wire off just behind bead.  Push wire inside of bead opening.  Take a extra wraps at the rear of the hook and break off wire.

Step 3:

Start thread behind the bead.  Form a even base of thread stopping just forward of the hook point.

Step 4:

Select two CDC feathers and tie in by the tips.  Since we are CDC for the legs do not worry about using your best CDC here.

Lift CDC straight up and make two wraps stroking fibers rearward during the winding.  Secure CDC.

Step 5:

Select two peacock herl from below the eye.  Remove approximately one inch from the tips and tie in.

Note position of the thread relative to the herl.   Lightly grab herl and pull straight down.  With the herl matched up with the thread, pinch, twist herl and thread.  This will a chenille-like effect and reinforce the herl.  Wrap herl forward.

Whip finish and you're ready to fish!

Enjoy!

Riffle Robber

This little fly came to fruition when I lived on the banks of Russian River in Ukiah, California. While there was little in the way of trout fishing on the river below Coyote Dam, the headwaters above Lake Mendocino was an untapped jewel of a fishery.

As a youngster I spent many summers visiting family in Ukiah and fishing for smallmouth in the river.  After all, it was a quick 5-minute walk to wet a line.  It wasn't until Uncle Sam sent me to the Bay Area for a tour on Treasure Island and moving 90-miles to north did I discover paradise.

Once the household goods were moved in the first the did was prospect the surrounding area for quality fishing. Although I knew the Eel River was short drive, Cow Mountain had trout plants, Clear Lake had monster bass, and the lower Russian had steelhead, I was looking for something closer to home.  I set out for the headwaters above the lake.  

Within two miles of turning off Highway 20 I ran into a warden from California Fish and Game parked in a pull out along the river. I asked if he had a few minutes to answer questions about the headwaters.  In a nutshell he said the trout fishing should be off the hook with the amount of plants and large fish in the river.  He also mentioned that he rarely had the opportunity to talk with other anglers because no one knew of this fishery.  That's all I had to hear...  I spent a few minutes overturning rocks looking for clues.

I have yet to encounter the amount of insects I did that day!  The amount of caddis and large black stoneflies was staggering. Since the amount of stoneflies heavily outweighed the caddis I figured these large bugs were going to be the ticket. I set off for home to return "loaded for bear."  Boy Howdy, I was wrong.

I caught a few fish, but it took a couple of weeks to truly figure the puzzle out.  For some reason, the fish preferred caddis patterns all season long.  Interesting?  I thought so...  Many of the caddis in the headwaters had a golden goniochromism.  While I tried various materials to replicate this iridescence, including oval gold tinsel and Krystal Flash, it wasn't until I stumbled upon an antique gold color at the craft store did the game serious change.

The Riffle Robber is a two material game changer!  Not only does this fly take less than five minutes to tie, but the true beauty rests with ability to fish this pattern both upstream and swinging downstream. I feel the effectiveness of this pattern comes from a collar of very translucent and wavy attributes of the American opossum.  The translucency of this material is first rate (akin to polar bear) and although the under fur is somewhat coarse it breathes well against the current.

With the exception of a few patterns, I normally do not tie with a bead on the hook.  Rather, I slide a bead on leader before tying on the fly.  Not to worry... The bead will find it's way to the fly during the cast and/or drift.  However, sliding a bead on the leader does a few things: (1) saves a lot of money over the long run and (2) the ability to switch the color of bead and/or convert non-beaded patterns.  (3) Bright bead's (gold and copper) protective coatings eventually fail (especially copper) after exposure to the amino acid on our fingers.  There is no longer a need to tie more beadhead flies to fill the box once the coating fails.  Give it a shot- you'll be happier!

Materials 

Weight to suit

Thread: 8/0 to match

Hook:  Daiichi 1150 (or choice) Size 10 pictured

Bead: Size appropriate- gold, black, copper

Body: Embroidery thread, DMC #E436, Antique Effects (Antique Gold color) or DMC #E703, Jewel Effects (Bright Lime)cAvailable at craft stores

Color: Natural American opposum

Step 1

Place bead on hook and secure in vice.

Step 2

As this point additional weight can be added.  In this step by step, I am wrapping copper wire to fill the bead's void.  Wrap 5 or 6  turns of medium UTC wire, then double back over previous wraps and trim.

Push wire into the bead.


Step 3

Start thread immediately behind the bead.

Cut approximately 10-inch of DMC embroidery thread.  You'll notice 6-strands of embroidery thread that will separate upon cutting to length. Take two strands and double the ends (4-strands) and secure the ends.


Tightly wrap thread rearwards stopping at a point on the hook as shown below. Return thread in close, tight wraps.

Step 4

With a dubbing hook or spinning tool, tightly spin embroidery thread counter-clockwise until material nearly doubles over. Spinning tightly in a counter-clockwise direction will force the rope to lay rearwards allowing for a nice tight look. Wrap forward providing a segmented body.  Secure material with a few thread in position shown.

Step 5

Form a dubbing loop and wax thread.

Cut a portion of American opossum from the hide equating to approximately an inch and one half of fur in the dubbing loop. (This will take a few attempts to get the portion right.)  Remove all longer guard hairs. You should left with the darker tips of the under fur.  Place under fur in the dubbing loop.  The tips of the under fur should extend about one hook length past the bend of the hook.


Trim the hair as close to the thread as possible.  You can use your index finger to pat the ends closer to the thread.

Spin until the hair stands outs at a 90-degree angle.  Comb or pick out any trapped hairs.  


Moisten and draw under fur to the rear.  Wrap forward in close, tight turns.

Step 5

Whip finish and trim thread.  You are ready to fish!

Again, this fly can be fished both upstream and down.  I thoroughly enjoy covering as much water as possible fishing dead drift upstream between riffles.  After covering several hundred yards upstream this fly can be cast quartering downstream and slowly twitched back to the rod trip on the return trip to the truck.

The wet look.

DMC embroidery threads and a patch of American opossum.


Lime and gold versions.

Enjoy and tie on!

Fugly Bugger

I am hoping I don't have to explain the slang terminology of the first word in this pattern's name.  It is not pretty (pun intended). However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

You've probably notice a few changes from a standard woolly bugger- the peacock herl tail and dubbed body.  It was a result of creative fly tying juices flowing, yet I won't claim any originality of the pattern.  The whole premise of this step-by-step is to get the tier thinking more outside the "material box."  

My preference for bugger bodies has always been dubbing.  While adding a little time to pattern completion, a dubbed body creates a very buggy appearance, bulk (if desired), movement that chenille(s) cannot compete against, and the extra attraction of it's unique light refraction/signature- especially when synthetic materials are utilized.  However, don't limit yourself...  Natural hair, (or a mix of natural and synthetic) e.g., angora, opossum, squirrel, picked out work wonders at times!  

This step-by-step utilizes a synthetic spectrumized peacock colored dubbing.   Mr. Peacock dubbing from The Fly Tyers Dungeon (www.flytyersdungeon.com)(no affiliation) is very inexpensive and available in 12 wickedly vibrant fishy colors.  I classify this material as semi-coarse and easy to dub.

Peacock herl for a tail?  Peacock herl taken from under the eye possesses the most vivid, longest fibers off the stem and wonderful movement in the water.  However, many consider it a little too weak for tailing material. Understandable, but the strength and magic of peacock is often underestimated. Chewed or broken herl can always be discreetly cut back to the body and the fly can then be fished as a Woolly Worm-ish pattern.  Further trimming of the hackle results in a cased caddis.  A suitable substitution is thin peacock sword.

Although not aesthetically pleasing in the eyes of most, other tailing materials include single strand floss, Angel Hair (or eqvuilant), metallic threads, and longer supple hair such as temple dog and arctic fox under fur.  You are only limited by your imagination!   The fuglier - the better!

Materials

Thread: 10/0 Veevus, black or choice

Hook:  Daiichi 1260 size 6 (shown) or choice

Bead:  Spirit River Brite Bead, 4.0mm, nickel black (shown) or choice

Weight to suit

Tail:  6 to 10 peacock herls taken from below the eye

Rib: Optional 

Hackle:  Black strung saddle

Body:  Mr. Peacock dubbing (synthetic peacock color)

Step 1

Slid bead on to hook.  Secure hook in vise.  Additional weight may be added at this point.  I have elected to slightly increase the weight and fill the void of bead with UTC wire as pictured.

Take 5 or 6 wraps of wire forward over the shank.

Once the number of wraps are complete, double back.  Remove tag ends and push wire into the center of the bead.

Step 2

Start thread immediately behind bead and wind rearward stopping between the hook point and barb.

Step 3

Remove 6 to 10 peacock herls from under the eye. (Six are pictured.) Align tips. I prefer bugger tails slightly shorter than normal and have measured just short of one hook length.  Secure herl with forward wraps of thread.

Step 4

Return thread to the rear of the hook.

The ribbing is optional and can be tied in during this step.  I have elected to bypass the ribbing. The body will be dubbed loose enough for me to bury the hackle stem firmly in to the material.

Select a saddle hackle with fibers slightly longer than one gape length.  Prepare by stripping one side free of fibers.  Secure tip first to hook.

Step 5

Wax thread.  Remove a small amount of dubbing from packaging.  

Loosely apply/twist a small amount of dubbing. Appearance should look similar to the picture.  

Wind forward to the bead.  Note the shaggy appearance.

Step 6

Lift hackle straight up.  Ensure fibers are pointed rearwards. Wrap hackle forward in 5 or 6 increments.  Take 2 or 3 extra wraps behind the bead.  Remove tag end.  Secure with two whip finishes if ribbing was omitted.

If rib was utilized, counter-wrap over the hackle stem.  Secure, remove tag end, and whip finish.

Step 7

The fly could easily be fish at this point.  However, I like these patterns shaggy!  Since the ribbing was omitted, I recommend a bodkin to carefully pick out the body material between the hackle wraps. A velcro or a bore cleaner may break the steam if too much pressure is applied.

Finished!

A quick side bar...  Even though the body has been heavily picked out note how thin the body still appears. Additionally, keep those tails thin.  A thinly dressed fly catches more fish!

Finally, one fishing technique I often use on the river is using a heavily weight Fugly Bugger (or any bugger) as a point fly in combination with a soft hackle or emerger patten.  The cast is made three quarters upstream and worked to completion downstream. The strike can come at anytime, but normally it occurs as the flies near the end of the drift and begin to rise off the bottom.

Enjoy!

Kelp Hopper (Isopod)

I won't put you to sleep writing about the particulars of isopods, there is plenty of literature to do that for me, but they do resemble the pill bug (curl into a ball) we played with as kids. However, if you desire a far too overlooked pattern for juvenile coho and chinook salmon- look no further!

The size of isopods vary from minute to 1 1/2-inches within Puget Sound, and though some anglers (including myself) tie patterns in the #10-#16 range, I have had much better results utilizing patterns in #6 or #8.

A quick rule of thumb for choosing a color to fish is simply looking to the water.  Use various shades of brown to brownish red in areas of kelp and shades of olive to brownish olive patterns in vicinity of eel grass or rockweed. 

The best news.... if you can tie a freshwater scud pattern you are in business in short order!  Not to mention, with a few quick colors changes you'll have a back amphipod imitation!

Materials

Hook:    Gamakatsu SC15 (Size 6 or 8)(Size 6 pictured)

Thread:  Color to match body

Body:  Various shades of olive to brown to reddish brown.  I mix olive Mr. Peacock (spectrumize) Dubbing and Arizona Peacock dubbing to produce many vivid shades of the aforementioned colors

Shellback:  Mirage Flashabou coated with Clear Cure Goo or Liquid Fusion.

Step 1:

Start thread just behind the eye and wind to the bend stopping at the barb.

Step 2:

Tie in Mirage shellback in the normal manner.

Pull tinsel forward and tie off behind eye.

Wind thread back to the bend of the hook.

Step 3:

Apply dubbing to the thread.

Wind forward stopping short of the eye.  Pull excessive material back to the rear and make a wrap or two.  This will aid in fiber management.

Step 4:

Bring Mirage tinsel back over the body.

Wrap thread over shellback in even segments.

Whip finish and cut thread.  Cut Mirage leaving a small amount.

Step 5:

Apply a small amount of Clear Cure Goo over the shellback.  With a bodkin, pick out fibers to create legs.

Ready to fish!

These patterns are best fish with very quick 1-inch strips in a stop and go fashon.

Enjoy!