Al Troth who first created the Elk Hair Caddis really use soft hackle paltered over the body. I feel the back and then forward with the hackle is to much hackle and covers up to much of the body ,as a trout see the natural of the fly from below and really I use no hackle over the body at all as long as the deer or elk hair is put on properly. Don't tie it on top as you do with a streamer ,it won't act or float right. E-mail me direct and I will send you a drawing on the directions I did many years ago. Using a palmered hackle as All Troth did it , is starting the hackle back from the eye,leaving room for the wing and wind to the rear and tied off at the rear with a gold wire and the fine wire is wrap over the hackle and finish up front where the wing is applied. Don't winded the hackle to close as it very important that the caddis body is seen clearly . I use the compression method to measure the amount of hair needed ,that is if your using the correct type of hair. Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone ,Montana has the perfect hair and it not listed but you can choose light, medium or natural dark hair.In the compression method which I created in my teachings over thirty five years ago is when you tie down the hair ,the area you tie the thread around the winged hair is equal to the diameter of 21/2 to 2 3/4 , larger then the diameter of the eye of the hook. The hair also needs to come down the sides slightly below the sides of the body ,leaving the belly expose ,like a natural wind on a caddis . Hair just goes to the end of the hook and not more then that length ..This wind length catches more fish with a wing to the end of the hook ,rather then a longer wing.beyond the hook . To trim it off use a curve scissors and the stub of hair will have a triangle ski blade in front ,extending to the tip of the eye of the hook Glue the triangle ski blade..The curve scissors will make a square trim ,where a straight blade scissor can not.
Glenn Overton [EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Johnson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 11:53 AM Subject: [VFB] caddis
Tying question. I have been looking at several sites showing tutorials for tying an elk-hair caddis. Most of them show the hackle being tied in at the front of the dubbing (toward the eye of the hook), then palmered back to the top of the bend, then forward (through the hackle now in place) toward the eye, and the starting point of the hackle. Do you-all subscribe to this back-then-forward method, or do any of you tie the hackle in at the top of the bend of the hook and make only one pass (back to front) with the palmering? What is the rationale for your choice?? Do you include a wire rib to wrap over the hackle? Enquiring minds, etc. Larry Johnson Springville, Utah
