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Colorado King Caddis

by Elaine Cook

Although caddis don’t have tails,  this pattern includes two stabilizing peccary. I’m not sure what trout make of these, but it’s a very effective pattern. Due to the coloring it may represent a bee to the fish. Apply floatent, fish drag free or with an occasional skitter.

HOOK: TMC or TFC 100, sizes 8-18.    Crimp Barb.

THREAD: black 8/0.   Attach mid shank. Wrap to rear of shank.

BODY: yellow or golden/yellow , superfine or rabbit dubbing.    Dub a small ball at rear of shank. Leave thread hanging in front of ball.

TAIL: 2 black peccary hairs or can substitute other coarse black hair such as moose main or body.    Position one hair on far side of ball, tip extending hook length to rear. Make 3 wraps. Pull on butt end of hair until it extends hook shank to rear or a little shorter. Tie in place. Cut excess.

HACKLE: grizzly.    Select feather with barbs equal to one or one and a quarter hook gap. Cut several barbs short on each side of base of stem (crew cut). Tie crew cut in infront of ball, light side facing you.

BODY CONT. : same dubbing.    Dub a non tapered body forward to 2 eye lengths behind eye.

HACKLE: same feather.   Palmer forward in about 5 wraps. Tie off, cut excess.

WING: bleached or light deer hair, with med. fine hairs.    Cut a sm. clump an effectiveof hair from hide. Clean out fuzz. Stack tips. Position on top of shank, tips extending to mid tail. Make first thread wrap around only the hair, the second wrap around both hair and shank. Make several snug wraps , making hairs flare. Cut hair butts short at an angle. Wrap thread head covering all hair stubs. Whip finish, cut thread. Apply Zap-A-Gap or similar. If any hairs remain exposed in thread head, use black Sharpie.