Improved Thanksgiving Caddis

Fly: Niclas Runarsson, Photograph: Hans Weilenmann

Hook: Dai-Riki 270, size #10
Thread: Gudebrod 6/0, Black
Legs: Pheasant tail, peeled from stem
Thorax: Fly-Rite #2, Black
Abdomen: Fly-Rite #3, Dk. Olive
Underbody: Turkey herl, not too tightly wrapped
Case: Stiff herl pieces (1.5 cm’s closest to feather stem), put side-by-side in loop and spun to a “turkey-chenille”
Note:

First designed as a “one-material pattern” for Don Ordes’ One-Material Swap 2005. The abdomen was tied from the turkey tail’s cinnamon tip and the thorax from the black part below.

Some good tips for tying:
*Do not wrap the “undercase” overly tight. A little easier wrap helps the spun herl to flare. *Make the loop long rather than short. Using tweezers, I place the herls into the loop one-by-one by the hanging twister’s hook and slide them up to the fly. A long loop helps holding them in place, close to eachother and perpendicular to the thread. *Don’t make too much chenille at a time. I use to make a length of about 2-2.5 cm’s, twist and wrap… then untwist the loop and repeat. A tiniest tap on the thread when the loop is unspun can make every herl end up on the table… so control your damage before it’s already done. *Put your pride aside and dig up your tackiest wax. Big and stiff turkey herls weren’t made for this purpose.


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© 2005 Hans Weilenmann
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