Hemingway Caddis
Fly: Larry Medina, Photograph: Hans Weilenmann
Hook: Mustad 94833 Size 10-20
Thread: Black 8/0
Abdomen: Greyish Olive Dubbing Blend
Body hackle: Medium Dun, palmered over abdomen and clipped on top
Wing: Teal Wing Quill Slips, tied down over abdomen and splayed out
Thorax: Peacock Herl
Hackle: Dark Dun, palmered through thorax heavily

Believe it or not, I still use the Mustad as my hook of choice for this pattern. The dubbed body needs to be very slim, so I use grey beaver blended with Olive Superfine. The body hackle should be trimmed flush with the hook shank on top to allow clearance for the wings, which when tied in should "splay" outwards from each other at the tips. I hackle this fly using the Marinaro method which causes the hackle to form an X type array through the thorax. This is achieved by angling the hackle while winding it rather than winding it at right angles to the hook shank.

This popular fly works well throughout the caddis hatches of late summer and can be tied in a wide range of body and hackle colors, but I usually stay with the originals. Lately I've been experimenting with a version which swaps an underwing of CDC for the abdomen hackle, a single slip of teal for the wing and a grizzly hackle for the thorax…. The jury is still out on this version.

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© 2002 Hans Weilenmann
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