Steve Hudson
Senior Member
If there’s a list somewhere of favorite trout flies, you can bet that you’ll find the Elk Hair Caddis, or simply EHC, near the top.
Caddisflies, which look like nothing so much as drab and unassuming little moths, may not be the fanciest insects on the water – not by a long shot. But as far as trout are concerned, they must rank right up there with filet mignon and steamed lobster. They’re a favorite food for trout – and that makes them popular with fly fishers too.
Fly tying historians tell us that the Elk Hair Caddis (EHC) was developed by Al Troth in Pennsylvania in the late 1950s. As the story goes, it was supposed to be a subsurface fly. But instead of sinking, the fly tended to float. The fish responded to that floating imitation with great enthusiasm, and the Elk Hair Caddis that we now know and love was on its way to becoming a star in the fly fishing world.
This Saturday, you'll learn to tie the Elk Hair Caddis yourself. It's not a difficult pattern. I'm betting that you'll find it easy to master – and I'm sure that you'll have a great time tying and fishing some EHCs of your own.
I look forward to seeing you this Saturday on The Tying Bench!
Materials List
Hook: Dry fly hook, regular or 1XL, size 12 or 14 for starters. If you're a beginning or intermediate tyer, I suggest size 12.
Thread: Black, 6/0. I like Veevus thread for its strength in small diameters.
Hackle: Dry fly hackle sized to the hook you're using. Ideally, you want feathers with relatively long shafts since you'll be making quite a few turns of hackle over the body. Grizzly, tan, gray or cream are good colors for this time of year.
Body: We will tie two versions: One with a peacock herl body and one with a dubbed body.
For the herl body version, you'll need some good quality peacock herl.
For the dubbed body version, you'll need some gray or tan dry fly dubbing.
Wing: Elk hair, stacked (see "tools" below). Hair from a yearling elk or cow elk is ideal.
Specialized tools and other things you'll want to have:
1) Hair stacker tool for stacking the elk hair wing
2) Dubbing wax
ZOOM MEETING INFO
Time: July 2, 2022 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 831 5111 9932
Passcode: FlyTying2 [two capital letters, one number, no spaces]
Caddisflies, which look like nothing so much as drab and unassuming little moths, may not be the fanciest insects on the water – not by a long shot. But as far as trout are concerned, they must rank right up there with filet mignon and steamed lobster. They’re a favorite food for trout – and that makes them popular with fly fishers too.
Fly tying historians tell us that the Elk Hair Caddis (EHC) was developed by Al Troth in Pennsylvania in the late 1950s. As the story goes, it was supposed to be a subsurface fly. But instead of sinking, the fly tended to float. The fish responded to that floating imitation with great enthusiasm, and the Elk Hair Caddis that we now know and love was on its way to becoming a star in the fly fishing world.
This Saturday, you'll learn to tie the Elk Hair Caddis yourself. It's not a difficult pattern. I'm betting that you'll find it easy to master – and I'm sure that you'll have a great time tying and fishing some EHCs of your own.
I look forward to seeing you this Saturday on The Tying Bench!
Materials List
Hook: Dry fly hook, regular or 1XL, size 12 or 14 for starters. If you're a beginning or intermediate tyer, I suggest size 12.
Thread: Black, 6/0. I like Veevus thread for its strength in small diameters.
Hackle: Dry fly hackle sized to the hook you're using. Ideally, you want feathers with relatively long shafts since you'll be making quite a few turns of hackle over the body. Grizzly, tan, gray or cream are good colors for this time of year.
Body: We will tie two versions: One with a peacock herl body and one with a dubbed body.
For the herl body version, you'll need some good quality peacock herl.
For the dubbed body version, you'll need some gray or tan dry fly dubbing.
Wing: Elk hair, stacked (see "tools" below). Hair from a yearling elk or cow elk is ideal.
Specialized tools and other things you'll want to have:
1) Hair stacker tool for stacking the elk hair wing
2) Dubbing wax
ZOOM MEETING INFO
Time: July 2, 2022 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 831 5111 9932
Passcode: FlyTying2 [two capital letters, one number, no spaces]
