Woodchuck caddis...please help.

[JakeGerardKud 0]

I have been trying to tie a simple woodchuck caddis. I'm not a great tier, but I thought this fly looked pretty easy. I am having trouble tying in the woodchuck wing. I am not using any hackle under the wing. It seems that I cannot get enough hair in one clump to tie the wing...I need to tie in to separate clumps. But my major problem is the hackle at the front of the fly. I can't tie with hackles to save my life. I am using two hackles (same size) and wrapping them opposite the way I am wrapping my thread. I just can't figure it out. I'm getting so frustrated with it. I would really appreciate any help. Thanks a lot. -Matt

[rockworm 0]

Matt

 

Eric Leiser's Chuck Caddis is a simple tye. But woodchuck hair is slippery stuff and needs to be tyed down firmly. And you don't want to make the wing too bulky! Leiser used 40-50 hairs on a size 14 fly. That's not a lot. I suspect your problem with hackle is caused by the wing tye-in. Briefly:

 

1) Wrap thread from eye to bend.

2) Apply dubbing and wrap forward to cover the rear 2/3 of hook shank. Build a reverse taper. (Wider at bend.)

3) Wrap naked thread to eye and back 1/3 shank length (SL). (This prepares a base for the wing tye-in.)

4) Take a clump of woodchuck back fur; taking care to align the tips before cutting from the skin.

5) Hold the guard hair tips firmly and remove the underfur.

6) Apply a bit of head cement to the thread base. Hold hair so that the tips will extend 1/3 SL beyond bend.

7) Tye on the guard hair just in front of the dubbed abdomen. Wrap your thread forward using tight, close turns almost to the eye. Cut butts at an angle just behind eye. Wrap thread back wing.

8) Select one brown and one grizzly hackle. One size smaller than hook size. (The diameter of the shank has been increased considerably.

9) Tye hackles on immediately in front of the wing with their shiny (good) sides facing you (or slightly upward.)* Wrap thread to 1 or 2 eye-lengths behind eye. (The thread base should be smooth and even. No lumps or grooves.)

10) Wrap one hackle forward in close (but not tight) turns to thread. Use 2-3 turns of thread to tye down tip.

11) Repeat with second hackle, making sure not to squash down the fibers from the first hackle. Tye down.

12) Whip head.

 

* By the way, I don't know what you mean when you say you wrap the hackle in the opposite direction as the thread. I usually tye the hackle butts down on the near side of the shank, with the feathers passing over the top of the shank aiming to the rear and away from the tyer at about 45 degrees. I then wrap the feathers forward in the same direction as the thread. If your thread base is relatively smooth and you are using quality hackles, the hackle collar should present no problems.

 

Long-winded (as usual)! But I hope it helps.

[Bugsy 0]

Hi Matt,

 

I used woodchuck tail for the wing on this Woodchuck Caddis. Tail hair isn't as fine and soft as body hair, so a smaller amount makes a more substantial wing with fewer hair fibers. Try clipping the wing butts to length prior to mounting. One or two wraps of thread worked into the wing butts...along with a dap of cement...will help secure it.

 

Hackle should be wrapped in the same direction as the thread.

[redquill 0]

I have been trying to tie a simple woodchuck caddis. I'm not a great tier, but I thought this fly looked pretty easy. I am having trouble tying in the woodchuck wing. I am not using any hackle under the wing. It seems that I cannot get enough hair in one clump to tie the wing...I need to tie in to separate clumps. But my major problem is the hackle at the front of the fly. I can't tie with hackles to save my life. I am using two hackles (same size) and wrapping them opposite the way I am wrapping my thread. I just can't figure it out. I'm getting so frustrated with it. I would really appreciate any help. Thanks a lot. -Matt

 

Try these for the hackle issues.

1) Wrapping the hackle the same direction as you wrap the thread. (and wrap toward the eye only if you tie in front of the wing, not going back and forth)

2) Tie off with some distance from the eye, say 1/2 to 1 eye length.

You can pratice tie off hackle with a hook and gradually move down in hook size.

Hope that helps.

 

[JakeGerardKud 0]

Thank you all very much for your input. Sorry so late for me to reply. My internet was down for a while. I'm gonna take out the vice today. I haven't tied since I started this thread. Hopefully I can get this fly down. Thanks again guys.