High-Vis Caddis

 

A HighVisibility Caddis Pattern

 

This caddis pattern is based upon Roman Moser's Balloon Caddis. A high floating pattern, it uses a deer or elk wing and a foam-head to ensure it floats high.

 

Using the same idea, this high-vis caddis also has a 'sighter' tied in and it is in the fly box specifically for fishing New Zealand and duo (or trio!) style - where a nymph or two trail behind a bouyant dry fly. The tippet is tied from the bend of the dry. It's a very efficient way of fishing and searching water.

 

 

 

Simple to tie, it is a scruffy little pattern but gives excellent bite indication - if a fish grabs the nymph, the caddis will sink. But it also gives an excellent footprint and may well be taken by the fish in its own right. If the fish turn to the dry, simply snip of the nymph and tippet and fish the caddis on its own. This is one option for the dry-fly indicator: The High Vis Caddis.

 

Hook: Partridge SLD #16

Thread: Hends Grall, olive

Abdomen: Orvis Spectrablend, olive

Wing: Elk (or deer hair)

Head: Foam, yellow

Sighter: Funky Fibre, pink

Thorax: Orvis Spectrablend, peacock

 

 

 

The butts of the wing are flared to produce some legs and a busy thorax.

 

 

 

A few in the box, alongside some without the sighter yarn and a few CDC & Elks.

 

 

This pattern takes the place of the usual Klinkhamer, often used for the duo method:

 

 

All types of weighted nymphs and shrimps can be suspended by the High-Vis Caddis:

 

 

 

 

 

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Catch in the thread

 

Dub a neat, tapered abdomen

 

Cut a wedge of foam. I aim for the foam to be about the same thickness as the hook's gape.

 

Tie in the foam behind and over the eye

 

Cut your elk or deer hair. Stack to get the tips in line.

 

Measure up the wing- I like it to protrude past the bend by about 1/2 the fly's length.

 

I also cut the butt-end of the tips before tying in.

 

 

Pinch and loop the thread and pulling upwards with the thread. Tie in the wing. It should flare, but all remain on the top of the hook.

 

I like the butts to be quite long so they form legs.

 

 

Now pull the foam back, through the butts of the wing hair.

 

Allow the wing butts to flare either side of the foam. 

 

This helps forms the legs and a busy thorax.

 

Tie down the foam to create a foam thorax / head.

 

Pick up the thread with the sighter fibres. Allow them to sit in the ridge where the thread binds down the foam.

 

This stage can be left out if you don't want the sighter.

 

Dub the thread and wind a small thorax. Whip finish in the same place.

 

The fly is then finished.