Fly Tying Tutorial by Stephen Myers
Originated from Ralph D’Andrea’s Peeping Caddis Nymph Pattern
The peeping caddis is meant to imitate many of the cased caddis that we see in our local waters, with the added bonus of having a “peeping” larvae (chartreuse chenille) exposed at the rear of the fly. This is a great pattern for any stream or river with populations of caddis flies. Add some wraps of non-lead wire and fish it along the bottom or tie it unweighted and let it roll across the riffles. It’s up to you.
Materials:
– Hends Barbless BL 254 Nymph/Wet Fly Hook – Size 8
– 6/0 Thread (Green, Black, or Grey)
– Small Chartreuse Chenille
– India Hen Soft Hackle (Speckled Grey)
– Masterblend XB English Hares Ear Dubbing
Step 1: Wrap the thread down to the bend of the hook and back just behind the eye.
Step 2: Tie in the chenille just behind the eye and make securing wraps back to the bend of the hook.
Step 3: Form a dubbing noodle on your thread with the hares ear dubbing.
Step 4: Make wraps forward with the dubbed thread. Try to keep an even taper up to just behind the hook eye.
Step 5: Build a tapered thread base behind the hook eye to tie in your soft hackle feather.
Step 6: Stroke back the fibers of the soft hackle feather to get an easy tie in portion, then tie in the feather with the bowl shape of the feather facing upward.
Step 7: Make one wrap of the soft hackle feather around the hook and secure the feather with a few wraps of thread. Add some super glue to the thread and take two or three more wraps around the hook.
Step 8: Add some hares ear dubbing to the thread and take a three turn whip finish around the hook to secure the thread. Cut or clip the thread. You’re finished!
Stephen Myers is an environmental scientist/writer and fishing guide currently living in Colorado. He has been practicing tenkara since 2014.
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Tenkara Angler magazine.
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