This is one of my “go to flies”. A caddis hatch does not need to be occurring for trout to gobble this one up. The larger sizes work well for the Rocky Mountains, smaller for the Sierra. Fish with a floating line, drag free, in moving water.
Hook: TMC or TFS 2487 (or similar scud hook ) , sizes 12-16
Thread: olive or olive dun, 8/0
Body: olive (vernille, ultra chenille, or velvet chenille), size small or standard (depending on brand). Super Glue or Zap-A-Gap.
Underwing: dun spooled Antron, light or dark
Hackle: dun, light or dark to match underwing, barbs equal to slightly less than hook gap
Wing: light or light tipped deer hair
1. Position hook in vise so that straight lower portion is parallel to table. Crimp barb.
2. Attach thread behind eye. Wrap to rear, with touching wraps to above hook point.
3. Round end of body material using a candle. Carefully melt the end buy placing it near the base of the flame. Apply glue to thread wraps. Position on top of shank, tip above rear of hook. Tie in place with spiral wraps up to 2 eye lengths behind eye. Cut excess.
4. Cut end of underwing material to even fibers. Lay on top of body with tips slightly beyond end of body. Tie down infront of body while splaying fibers. Cut excess. Tie butt ends down up to eye.
5. Prep hackle by removing fuzzy end then cutting 4-5 barbs short on each side of butt end of stem (crew cut). Position crew cut under shank, tip of feather to rear. Tie in place back to body then forward to eye.
6. Cut match stick size bundal of hair, clean and stack tips. Position tips at rear of Antron. Tie in place with first wrap around HAIR ONLY, then firmly around hair and shank a couple times to splay fibers. Stroke butt hairs into bundal over eye forming start of head. Wrap a thread collar back to body. Advance thread back to head. Make one loose thread wrap around bundle of hair above eye, then one around collar. Trim head at an angle (see photo).
7. Make several wraps of hackle up to head. Tie off cut excess. Finish with half hitches under head , behind eye. Small amount glue to tie off threads.
Posted on October 28th, 2020