Elk Hair Caddis

[JerryCoviello]

The Elk Hair Caddis was developed by Pennsylvania native Al Troth
This is the most popular dry fly and floats like a cork while imitating a caddis fly that is skittering all over the stream.
The elk hair and hackle keep this fly afloat.
Change the body color for the caddis or stonefly adult you are imitating.

Materials for the Elk Hair Caddis Dry Fly
Hook: Standard Dry Fly Hook such as a Daiichi 1170
Thread: Brown 6/0
Rib: Fine Gold Wire
Body: Hare’s Ear Mask Dubbing
Hackle: Brown Rooster Neck Hackle.
Wing: Elk Hair

 

[RCFetter]

Does it matter what kind of elk hair you use? I've heard cow is best and bull is best. I just "restarted" tying after a three year layoff and am having trouble managing elk hair. Maybe it's too soon for me to be tying an Elk Hair Caddis.

 

[drakeking412]

RCFetter wrote:
Does it matter what kind of elk hair you use? I've heard cow is best and bull is best. I just "restarted" tying after a three year layoff and am having trouble managing elk hair. Maybe it's too soon for me to be tying an Elk Hair Caddis.

I struggled with them too, try using heavier strength thread and look up the Charlie Craven method to help to stop it from spinning on the hook. Also Nature's Spirit Bleached Cow seems to work well for me

 

[troutbert]

One of the best flies ever.

I use grizzly hackle along with the brown. I think adding grizzly makes elk hair caddis and other flies with brown/ginger hackle better, but maybe that's just my imagination.

 

[RCFetter]

drakeking412 wrote:


I struggled with them too, try using heavier strength thread and look up the Charlie Craven method to help to stop it from spinning on the hook. Also Nature's Spirit Bleached Cow seems to work well for me

I have Craven's beginner book so I'll check it out. Thanks for the advice.

 

[tomgamber]

drakeking412 wrote:

RCFetter wrote:
Does it matter what kind of elk hair you use? I've heard cow is best and bull is best. I just "restarted" tying after a three year layoff and am having trouble managing elk hair. Maybe it's too soon for me to be tying an Elk Hair Caddis.

I struggled with them too, try using heavier strength thread and look up the Charlie Craven method to help to stop it from spinning on the hook. Also Nature's Spirit Bleached Cow seems to work well for me

Not sure where I learned it but I find several loose wraps first, then as you make the next couple wraps you pull the previous wraps tight. Tying them tightly as you do each of the first wraps is what makes it spin. If I'm out of practice I just make the loose wraps and then pull them all tight at once this seems to wrangle the hairs from all directions at once keeping it from spinning. then just make my next few wraps tighter.

my 2 cents

 

[drakeking412]

tomgamber wrote:

drakeking412 wrote:

RCFetter wrote:
Does it matter what kind of elk hair you use? I've heard cow is best and bull is best. I just "restarted" tying after a three year layoff and am having trouble managing elk hair. Maybe it's too soon for me to be tying an Elk Hair Caddis.

I struggled with them too, try using heavier strength thread and look up the Charlie Craven method to help to stop it from spinning on the hook. Also Nature's Spirit Bleached Cow seems to work well for me

Not sure where I learned it but I find several loose wraps first, then as you make the next couple wraps you pull the previous wraps tight. Tying them tightly as you do each of the first wraps is what makes it spin. If I'm out of practice I just make the loose wraps and then pull them all tight at once this seems to wrangle the hairs from all directions at once keeping it from spinning. then just make my next few wraps tighter.

my 2 cents

This is another really good tip that I believe Craven touches on also but I might be wrong. When you do this method it also helps to pull straight down instead of towards or away from yourself. Let's stop fooling ourselves though, we all know elk hair caddis tied with snowshoe are superior haha

 

[jifigz]

I don't like tying my EHC with elk. I likey finished product and the performance much better when I use coastal deer hair or comparadun hair. I feel it is easier to tie with.

 

[Kevin82]

I agree with jifigz, I also tie this pattern with deer hair.

 

[larkmark]

I use deer hair. i tie them down to 20 and up to 14. Mostly use an olive body and grizzly hackle and deer hair wing. i tie CDC versions as well. It is probably my top fly.

 

[Skeet6]

RCFetter wrote:
Does it matter what kind of elk hair you use? I've heard cow is best and bull is best. I just "restarted" tying after a three year layoff and am having trouble managing elk hair. Maybe it's too soon for me to be tying an Elk Hair Caddis.

I have found that two or three loose wraps, then bringing the bobbin straight UP on your side and pulling tight instead of pulling down on the far side sets the hair better. Oh, and I like to use short deer hair, too.
Mike B

 

[RCFetter]

Skeet6 wrote:


I have found that two or three loose wraps, then bringing the bobbin straight UP on your side and pulling tight instead of pulling down on the far side sets the hair better. Oh, and I like to use short deer hair, too.
Mike B

I have coastal deer hair and comparadun deer hair, so I'll give it a try.

 

[Billems]

Al Troth mostly tied the EHC on a the equivalent of a Tiemco #921, which is a 1x short, wide-gape dry fly hook. Dai-Riki sold it as the "Al Troth Caddis hook. I use them, though I tie a fantastic caddis pattern by Chuck Stranahan called the "Light Caddis Variant." Craven has an instructional on tying it on Charlie's Fly Box.

 

[RCFetter]

Here's a link to the step by step at Charlie's Fly Box - Chuck’s Caddis Variant