Here is a caddis pattern that is working wonders this fall on streams here in the Rocky Mountains. Nice October caddis variation. The Tan Underworld CDC Caddis is a mix of Slovakia and Czech caddis patterns. Most of the materials origins are from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and US. A good mix of both natural and synthetic materials. I think this fly has been successful due to the semi realistic look to the pattern and origins of the pattern that are not seen on our home rivers here in the US. I have tied this fly at a few demos last year and was really pleased with how the fly turned out, but even more pleased at the way it fished thru the winter, spring and fall. I wasn't able to fish the pattern in the thick of the caddis hatches this summer due to the lack of fishing I did from throwing my back out, extended vacation and home commitments to redo our backyard. But I have been able to get on the river the last month a few times using this pattern and have been really successful with it.
Recipe
Hook: Knapek Midge Pupa # 12 reversed Hook/ rides up
Thread: Bennechi 12/0 Black
Tailing shuck Optional: Krinky Zlon Brown
Weight: .010 leadfree or medium flat wire
Rib: 5x mono
Underbody: Translucent Antron dubbing (color to match natural in your rivers)
Overbody: Klima Body Stretch Top colored with black permanent marker
Gills: Ostrich Tan
Underwing: CDC
Overwing: Medallion sheeting Olivebrown
Wingcase: Magic Shrimp Foil
Thorax: mix of antron, cdc and natural fibers
Legs: Partridge
While working on this pattern I did a ton of caddis pattern research to come up with a pattern that had all the necessary pieces to make it a very effective pattern. I found that most of the caddis pupa tied here in America are tied on a basic scud style hook. Either your TMC 2487 or Dai Riki 135. Those are good hooks, But I didn’t think they offered the correct bend and extended body that caddis pupa have. I wanted a semi realistic pattern with the extended body and correct curve to the hook shank that would give it the realistic look I was after, this is where I begin with the European influences. The hook I choose is the Knapek of the Czech Repbulic. The hook is their P hook which is a pupa hook with a longer shank and more natural curve to it. The Europeans have realistic caddis patterns down to a science, which is why I looked to them for inspiration for my caddis pattern. I have always liked how the realistic style patterns of Oliver Edwards and Steve Thornton tied their Hydropsyche Caddis larva. So I wanted to add a bit of their elements to my flies, but instead of making a larva I wanted a pupa emerger pattern that would drive trout nuts. The steps in this fly may look complicated at first, but it rather easy to tie.
1st set the hook into the vise. Lay down a base of thread, I am using Bennechi 12/0 thread black. It is a tough thread that is able to secure all your materials nicely without breaking. After you lay your base of thread down on the hook. Tie in some flat lead(Siman of Siman products CZ) or .010 round lead free wire. Make about 13 wraps of the lead. Cover the lead with thread. This next part is optional. The tail, which is really not a tail, but actual the anal proleg and claw and I tie my patterns booth ways, sometimes with and without. I use a krinkly Zlon for this part either black, brown or olive will work.
Next I tie in some 5x mono, followed by 2 strands of ostrich on each side. Next tie in your live body stretch, (I use Klima body stretch which is a product out of the Czech Republic), here you can use scud backing, nymph skin (but nymph skin isn’t as translucent as the body stretch or the scud backing). Once you get this tied in we are going to build up an underbody with dubbing. I like to use either Mercer’s Buggy Nymph blend or Ligas Ultra Translucent dubbing) I like using the antron style dubbings for the underbody, because it makes the body super translucent and really life like. Build you tapered dubbing underbody up to and just beyond the half point on the hook shank. Now wrap your body stretch up the body, overlapping each previous wrap giving your body a nice segmented yet tapered body. Make a few more wraps to secure the body stretch and take a colored marker (black) and make a quick one line down the bottom. The next step is an European Gilling technique which a lot of folks find rather difficult, but after a few flies, you will get the hang of it and will become a great tying weapon in other patterns. Take the mono tag and the 2 strands of ostrich and begin wrapping the mono up the body following in the grooves of the body stretch and catching the ostrich on each side of the top of the hook and repeat all the way to the half way point of the hook shank and tie off making a couple of securing wraps. Now flip or reverse the hook, so the hook point is now the top of the fly.
Now at the half way point of finishing the fly. Tie in the Magic Shrimp Foil another product from the Czech republic used in Czech Nymphs. I find this products makes the best wing cases ever. It has a dull side or a shinny side. Make sure you tie it in with the shinny side up. Now we are going to take some CDC Fibers and tie in on both sides of the fly. Next we are going to tie in the Medallion Sheeting wings. I like using the Medallion sheeting, because they offer a nice shine and translucency not available in other products. A good substitute is Swiss Straw. Tie the Medallion sheeting over the CDC . Now for the thorax, I like to make my thorax’s really buggy looking and to achieve the look, I use a couple various dubbings mixed together in a coffee grinder plus some CDC. Build up a nice thorax to just behind the hook eye. Now Tie in Some partridge for the legs. Pull the Magic Shrimp Foil over and tie off. Trim and color the magic shrimp foil, brown, olive, black ect… Fly is now finished.
We ready for fishing, You can add a set of antennas to give it that little extra thing and make it even more realistic. For the antennas, I like to use golden pheasant tail fibers.
Hope you enjoy this fly and as always if you have any questions feel free to contact me or leave me a message.
Tight Wraps,
Chad
