SilverCreek 0 Report post Posted July 9, 2023 On the Challenge Thread, I commented on Nelson's Caddis. I wanted to post about one of my favorite caddis patterns and did not want to get that thread to deviate from the subject which was Nelson's Caddis. One of the best imitative caddis patterns that I have tied and used is a modified version of Eric Leiser's Woodchuck Caddis. Below is the pattern taken from the Pike - Wayne Chapter of TU. The way I tie the pattern is just like the elk hair caddis but substitute woodchuck hair for the elk hair. Elk hair is hollow and so when it is compressed and tied in, the hair flairs and wing of the pattern is elevated above the body. Woodchuck hair is solid and does not flair so it lies relatively flat over the body of the fly. Whereas the EHC pattern looks like a fluttering caddis, the woodchuck caddis pattern looks like a caddis with the wings folded over it's body. You might be surprised that the most popular caddis dry fly pattern, the elk hair caddis in not in Gary Lafountaine's book Caddisflies. The reason is that it is not a very good imitation of a caddis resting on the water. It is an imitation of a fluttering caddis. The EHC works in the riffles where the fish do not get a good look at the fly but when the trout are BOTH selective and the water is calm and clear, the EHC is not a very effective pattern. This is when to use a woodchuck caddis WITHOUT the palmered hackle. I tied some up for a friend. He was fishing a caddis hatch on a spring creek in the driftless area of southern Wisconsin. There was a caddis hatch and he put on a EHC which the trout ignored. After getting frustrated by refusal after refusal, he remembered the woodchuck caddis I had given him and it saved his outing. So tie up a few of these for your fly box. It may save your day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cphubert 0 Report post Posted July 9, 2023 Thanks for the post SilverCreek. I enjoy reading informative ideas and suggestions for pattern variations. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverCreek 0 Report post Posted July 9, 2023 Gary Borger bends the hook of his poly caddis so that the wing is flat over the back of the fly. He also cuts off the bottom of the hackle so the fly body lies flat on the water surface. http://www.garyborger.com/2011/06/08/poly-caddis/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyflinger 0 Report post Posted July 10, 2023 Chuck's Caddis Variant: a pattern from an old friend Chuck Stranahan (Hamilton Montana), as tied by Charlie Craven . . . I first met Chuck at the Midge Fly Shop in Los Altos California in the early 80s, before his move to Montana - he is an amazing fly tyer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmHM04NYJRc Regards, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
