This fly represents an adult caddis with an egg sack. The female caddis returns to the water in an interesting up-and-down dance, depositing her eggs and sometimes becoming trapped in the surface film and very available to the trout.
HOOK: TMC 100 sizes 14–20. Crimp barb.
THREAD: 8/0 black. Attach 1/3 back on shank.
EGG SACK: Spooled Antron yarn, hot pink. Place strand on top of shank with end above hanging thread. Fasten to top of shank with touching thread wraps back to above barb. Cut short so length equals 1/4 hook shank.
HACKEL: Grizzly, barbs equal to 1/2 hook gap. Prepare “crew cut“ at end of stem. Fasten crew cut to top of shank, tip to rear, dull side of feather toward you. Touching thread wraps back to tie in.
BODY: Peacock herl. Select three strands. Break off fragile tips. Lay on top of shank with tips at tie in and butts to rear. Tie in place back to rear of shank. Form a dubbing loop. Advance thread to tie in. Using dubbing tool make a chenille. Wrap chenille forward with touching wraps to tie in. Tie off, cut excess. Spiral hackle forward in about 3 to 4 wraps. Tie off, cut excess. Cut barbs short on top of body.
WING: Deer hair (medium thick shafts). Closely cut a clump of hair from hide the size of a wooden match stick. Remove under fur. Stack tips. Lay on top of shank, tips at rear of egg sack, butts forward. Make one loose thread wrap around hair only – not shank. Make second wrap around both hair and shank. Snug in place by pulling bobbin downward. Make 3–6 more tight thread wraps on top of one another. Raise hair butts upward and cut short at an angle so that butts extend 1/4 hook shank length beyond thread wraps. Half hitch knots under cut butts and behind hook eye, cut thread. Apply small amount of glue.
Posted on April 2nd, 2025
A primary reason I joined the club was to participate in the Fishouts. We are fortunate to have members here who are and have been willing to share some of their favorite places with those in the club. We have members that have been hosting the same trip for over 15 years and every year they sell out with a waiting list. As a club we have the unique opportunity to utilize the vast experiences and knowledge those in the club share. This goes with out saying that with larger groups we are able negotiate better pricing for most of these trips making them much more affordable and accessible to those who might not be able to make such trips a reality. As an example take a look at Rich Hughlett’s Loreto trip in Mexico coming up in July. This is a smoking deal with almost all expenses paid with your buy in. All one has to do there after is save the date. Here you join group of anglers that have visited the same location for over 20 years and they are more than willing to share their advise and help getting you to their honey hole.
For this month’s “My Turn” article I’m going to focus on what we as fly anglers can do to make a positive impact on fish and the environment they inhabit. From my own journey in fishing, it wasn’t until I began fly fishing that I started to became increasingly aware of the challenges in improving, sustaining and enhancing native and wild fish populations. During my time with many of you, my fly fishing friends, I’ve been inspired by your awareness and passion for a better future in this sport. And we’ve seen some encouraging signs of hope with coming out of collaboration between many of the conservation organizations we support. The Klamath dam removal project is a shining example. The Carmel River Steelhead Association is a local group dedicated and fighting for their native fish. However, as I write this, I’ve become increasingly concerned that the headwinds facing our fisheries are growing stronger in the face of a number of politically motivated decisions. It’s becoming more urgent that we become stronger voices for fish and their habitats. So, what can we do? Many of us practice conservation already to some degree. Here’s a few suggestions of what we can do on and off the water. Most of my suggestions apply to cold water fish such as trout and salmon, but can be used for other species as well.
