Elk/deer wing caddis hackle

ian_brown

ian_brown

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Jan 22, 2007
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I've seen three ways of hackling hairwing caddis:

1. Palmered up the abdomen to the wing.

2. Palmered as above, then tightly wrapped between the wing and the eye.

3. Only wrapped tightly between the wing and the eye.

Which method do you prefer and why?
 
Ian,
Each give a different profile, though I tie only the second and third, with the palmered hackle on the second one size smaller than the hook and the collar hackle consistent with the hook size. That give the fly a look like it's about to lift-off. The third does the same but leaves the body in the film.
Coughlin
 
I like them palmered along the body and hackled in front of the wing. But, I also tie some that are palmered and not hackled and also some that are not palmered nor hackled. I do not like hackled caddis without palmering.
 
On my elk hair flies I palmer the body only...on my tent wing caddis I usually just palmer in front of the wing to the head, but sometimes do the body and head. Frankly with caddis I think it depens on how much you like to skitter them along the surface. The higher it rides the better it'll skitter.
 
No hackle at all for me. Just dub the body and tie the hairwing on. Not only is it easier I think it is more effective.
 
I tie them with either palmered hackle, or no hackle at all. I fish the hackled ones on a skitter or in fast water, and the no hackles on a dead drift in slack water.
 
I use a pattern called the CDC and Elk for all my caddis. You can find tying instructions for it on the web. You tie in a CDC hackle by the tip and wrap for the body. Add your deer hair wing, and you're good to go.
It's been one of my most effective patterns on the Wissahickon since I learned it about 10 years ago.
 
Here are some good tying instructions for the CDC and Elk .

Philly, I tied some of these up last year, but just haven’t used them much for some reason. Sounds like I should give them a better workout. Do you trim the barbules at all? They seem to be pretty long when I’m done tying the fly, and it looks kind of bulky when it’s in the water. But maybe it’s supposed to be that way.
 
I found a recipe a few weeks ago and can't locate it now, but you tie the body normally and then before tying in the hair wing, you start some CDC as if you were going to tie a loop-wing emerger. Then after tying the rear part of the CDC down to the shank, you tie in the hair wing, then pull the cdc into the loop coming forward and splitting the hairwing in half left and right. Then tie down the cdc on top of the hair near the eye and finish the head as usual. I tied a couple and they looked terrific, but I haven't had a chance to try them yet.
 
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