Gold Beadhead Caddis

Hook:   TMC 2457-#14
Thread: Danville 6/0 tan
Bead:   1/8" brass
Body:   Hareline Hare's Ear Plus #9 (golden) - This is a hare's ear/antron blend if you're mixing your own.
Ribbing: medium gold,oval or round

Instructions

This is a very simple pattern, easy to tie. I like to pinch down the barbs,sharpen the points and put on the beads on all the hooks for the number of flies I intend to tie as the first step. Make sure the smaller of the two holes in the bead is towards the eye. Start the thread right behind the bead and wind back to the midpoint of the bend. Tie in the ribbing,and dub the body. Build a tapered body so that when you get to the bead,the body is the same diameter,or even slightly larger than the bead. Wind the ribbing and tie it off behind the bead. At this point, make a couple of half hitches or a whip finish knot. Push the bead back on the body,covering the tie off point for the ribbing and the half hitches. Bring the thread over the bead,tie a small head and whip finish.

Comments

This has been one of my most effective patterns, under many different conditions. I find that it is best fished upstream with a short line technique. I vary the depth 'til I find what works, but most of the time that means right on the bottom. I believe that the flash is some kind of trigger. In fact I've experimented with a lot of my favorite nymphs, adding some kind of flash to the standard tie,and it seems to improve the performance in many of them. Besides tying this one, try adding a bead and some gold ribbing to some of your old "tried and trues" and see what happens.

David Leschinsky (sxl8@psu.edu)