The elk hair caddis should be a staple in all dry fly fishermans boxes, if they aren't in there already. This fly is probably one of the most effective and versatile dry flies ever created, and is right along side flies like the adams. This is relatively easy to tie, and once you get the hang of it, you can tie quite a few of them in an hour. Fill your box in short time, and have a fly that will fish well at most rivers and streams throughout America, and the rest of the world. The target species is obviously trout, but Ive caught bluegill, bass, and even some saltwater species on this fly before as well.
So on my last trip, to Colorado Springs, this fly was the same pattern that Colin ended up landing 6 fish with! It was the most productive fly of the two day trip. So its not only very effective, but relatively easy and cheap to tie. The only expensive part of this fly is the hackle. But once you get a neck, you should be able to tie 100's or even thousands of these flies, in varying sizes. The most common color for hackle is brown, but you can tie it in with other colors as well. Just try to match caddis coloration for your specific area.
So as always I am listing the materials used on this fly.
Hook: Firehole sticks # 419 in size 16
Thread: Brown Veevus 16/0
Hackle: Brown Rooster Cape
Dubbing: Yellow UV2 Fine & Dry
Wing: Bleached Elk Hair
Head Cement: Hard as hull
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