Elk Hair Caddis

[spm 0]

Every recipe I read for the EHC calls for gold wire counter-wrapped to lock in the hackle. Regardless how careful I am, moving the wire back and forth, I seem to mat down the hackle fibers more than I would like. Am I being too picky or is there a trick to this?

 

Is there any reason why I couldn't tie this without the wire? I realize the fly might not be as sturdy. I've been trying tying the hacke in at the back of the hook and wrapping it forward. The only difference I notice is that the hacke fibers point slightly forward. Is this a problem?

 

Thanks for the help,

steve

 

 

[Crackaig 0]

If you do want to tie the hackle in at the back and wrap forwards then try tying the hackle in by the tip. That way you have reversed both the tie in and the direction of wrap, so the hackle will lie the same way.

 

When securing a palmered hackle with a rib you will always trap some fibres. One of the best techniques to minimise this is to wind the rib quickly. You may find that the rib is uneven if you wind it very quickly. If this bothers you then do it in a series of sharp moves of 180 degrees. That way you can stop after each half turn and make sure the rib is even.

 

There is a third way, that gives you a stronger fly than no rib, and lets you use those large hackles you don't normally use. That is to split your thread and put both dubbing and hackle into the thread. Use a "long staple" dubbing (one with long fibres like Fly Rite or Superfine). When you spin the bobbin the hackle fibres will stick out, and the dubbing will form a central rope around the thread. This is easiest done with a tool. The Petitjean Magic Tool is made for this, but quite expensive. Fortunately you can easily make one by cutting a slot across the corner of a block of plastazote foam. Spread your dubbing along the top of the slot. Take a large hackle, stroke out the fibres and use the stem to push the dubbing into the slot. Grab the tips of the hackle and the dubbing in a bulldog clip, and pull it out of the slot. Trim out the hackle stem, leaving you with hackle fibres and dubbing in the clip. Split your thread and put the butts of the hackle fibres and dubbing into the thread. Take the clip away and give the bobbin a good spin. Then simply wind this forward to where you put the wing in.

 

That is rather complex here is a video which show you how to make and use this kind of tool for yourself.

 

Cheers,

C.

[flytire 0]

Is there any reason why I couldn't tie this without the wire?

 

you really dont need our permission to tie an elk hair caddis without the wire.

 

just tie them the way YOU want to tie them

 

i dont use the wire either and i still catch fish

 

or

 

try wrapping the wire quickly through the hackle. this supposedly pushes the fibers out of the way and they dont get tied down.

 

a few trapped hackle fibers isn't the end of the world. just pick them out with your bodkin

 

note: in the book 'the fly tiers benchside reference' there's is a technique called 'buried palmer hackle'

 

 

 

[ScottK 0]

 

 

That is rather complex here is a video which show you how to make and use this kind of tool for yourself.

 

Cheers,

C.

That's pretty slick, gonna have to try that. And I couldn't help but watch the rest of the video, he's fun to listen to. That little corkscrew vise at the end is pretty cool.

[JohnP 0]

I skip the wire and catch lots of fish on my elk hair caddis. I supplied my boss with a bunch for Christmas and he commented on how durable they were compared to ones he purchased.

Tie it the way you want to. Or skip the hackle (and the wire) altogether and tie an X-Caddis.

[Jaydub 0]

Something I see on a lot of beginner's EHCs is hackle that is way too long and not good dry fly quality. On an EHC I like to use a hakcle that one or two sizes smaller than what I would use for a collar hackle. Use good dry fly hackle. Stiff hackle fibers will spring back after being brushed out of the way by the passing wire, trapping less fibers. You will always trap a few.

[spm 0]

Thanks for all the responses. They were all helpful. I loved Chris Sandford's video and I also had to watch the whole thing.

I'm going to try all the suggestions:

Not worrying about it and continue tying them w/o wire, but will try to tie them in by the tip.

Wrapping quickly.

Wrapping with 180 degree turns to check.

I've always tried to be scrupulous about matching the hackle to the hook, so will try a smaller hackle.

And last but not least the folded feather technique. That is so cool, I may try that for other flies.

 

Again, thanks for all the suggestions.

steve

[phg 0]

If I remember correctly, Al Troth tied the hackle in near the front of the fly, and wound it back to the tail. Doing it that way, you don't trap nearly as much of the hackle when you counter wind the wire. Here's a pretty good video of the process:

 

Not my favorite rendition of the fly, the wing is mounted too far forward for my taste, but reasonably well done otherwise.

 

I tie my EHC's without the rib. Trout destroy the elk hair wing long before the hackle fails.

[flytire 0]

another easy alternative is the cdc & elk

 

[spm 0]

If I remember correctly, Al Troth tied the hackle in near the front of the fly, and wound it back to the tail. Doing it that way, you don't trap nearly as much of the hackle when you counter wind the wire. Here's a pretty good video of the process:

 

Not my favorite rendition of the fly, the wing is mounted too far forward for my taste, but reasonably well done otherwise.

 

I tie my EHC's without the rib. Trout destroy the elk hair wing long before the hackle fails.

 

Good video, flytire. I see what I've been doing wrong; my hackle wraps are too close together, leaving no room for the wire. Duh!

Thanks,

steve

[spm 0]

One last comment; I also realized I was wrapping the wire backwards, and not counter wrapping it ...DOH!

All is well, now. Thanks, again to everyone.

 

steve