Tent wings

[jayL]

For the longest time, the only caddis patterns I fished were cdc and elks, and EHC. For the first time ever, I found fish that wouldn't take them. The cdc and elk is a fine fly, but I don't have enough colors of CDC to tie them in a real variety. I also just want to show the fish something new.

I decided to take the plunge and tie some tent wing/quill wing caddis using a festus turkey feather.

They came out nice, but I was kind of flying by the seat of my pants. I'm open to suggestions and tips. Anyone want to share their findings with tying this type of caddis?

 

[David]

I spray the feathers with a clear spray paint to keep them from splitting / fraying.

If you use a palmered hackle, cut the top to get the wings to lay better. (Of course, it will add some wing loft, if you don't cut the hackle!!!)

 

[dryflyguy]

For really picky fish, I use a cut wing caddis tied with a synthetic wing materiel. There are quite a few brands of it - I'm currently using roman mosers dun wing.
I never spray it - I like to try to keep it a little more breathable to get less leader twist. It's pretty durable anyway

 

[tomgamber]

I coat he entire feather in flex-i-ment before I even cut a single wing. I also use 3 different hacking methods...sometimes I just hackle the body under the wing like you would an elk hair caddis and sometimes I just hackle in front of the win like a catskill or sometimes I hackle both like a henryville. I find when tying smallish tentwings, a foam post and parachute will make it easier to see and it will sit a little lower. I have in my box and tie all three. I used to tie only tent wings but found elk hairs faster to tie and more durable so I tie those as well now.

 

[afishinado]

Jay, I've never had a ton of luck with quill wing caddis flies. I used to tie them up, but not much lately. They are a PITA to tie and seem to fall apart rather quickly. If they worked well, I suppose I would bother with them. I now use mostly the CDC and Elk pattern or a Elk hair caddis for skittering and in the faster water. One exception is a delta wing caddis (sorta a spent wing caddis with the wings tied on like this [color=FF0000]/\[/color] ) This pattern has worked for me when many other have failed.

 

[RLeep2]

As preface, I'm not a cosmetically adroit fly tier. Most of my flies are pretty rough and functional.

So, bearing that in mind..

The only real use I've found for tent wing caddis (or quill wing, same thing I guess..) is when I tie Henryvilles, which I do a fair amount.
I like them because I can skitter them and also pop them under and let them come back to the surface and the fish (sometimes) seem to like this.

In any event, i got weary real quick of matching wing sections and fiddle-pfarting around with that. So, here's what I do. I spray an entire quill (duck, speckled hen, turkey, whatever) with Krylon or what ever that art store fixative is called. Then I cut a section from the quill big enough for both wings and i tie that in place, to length, with the breadth of the thing centered over the hook shank. Then I take my bodkin and by eyeball, use it to split the quill section into 2 (hopefully..) equal parts or "wings".

This allows me to churn out henryvilles like p--p through a goose.

The fish don't seem to mind and it sure makes it easier for a utilitarian tier like me.

So, that's my 1.89 cents.

PS: I've also been known to make them with a single wing section, with no split. The fish don't seem to mind that either..

 

[Alpabuck]

I tie mine pretty much like a hernyville but I trim the bottom hackle so it rides lower and I use cdc for the wing.

 

[littlelehigh]

just straight cdc and dubbing is how I roll no need to get fancy shmancy with caddis.

Also carry EHC but that about does it.

 

[bam]

never saw one tied like this, but looks cool. Wing is at the 4:45 mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ploa-1LUet8

 

[troutslammer]

i fished the grannom hatch on neshannock creek this year , the bugs were very thick , trout greedily eating them , i was in the area behind the shop (these fish are selective ) most guys were throwing elk hair and cdc , nobody catching much of anything , my buddy and i both had on tent wings and absolutely tore the chit out of em , the water was very clear and they wanted the wing sillouhette on the water and wing tips touching the surface , when they won't take elk hair and cdc u better have a tent wing especially in the slow pools , i coat the mottled turkey feather with head cement , fold it and tie it in , i like to tie caddis with moose mane tied in by the tips behind hook eye , then folded behind hook bend and tied off again behind hook eye , floats like a cork and the wing is on the water , awesome fly !

 

[outsider]

I've used tent wing caddis for decades, and found that mallard flank feathers hold up well when covered with flex-seal or a similar product. I don't use the real light colored feathers. You have to strip them to size, remembering that they will shrink with the cement, and cut the end to shape. Not all that difficult to tie, and I use hackle to match the shade of the wings. I make up several wings ahead of tying so they are dry before tying.

Sometimes they work really well, but I tend to fish CDC caddis more. And I prefer coastal deer hair over elk, particularily for smaller flies.

 

[osprey]

JAYL...........Like Tom and others say , it helps to coat the turkey tent with a lil sumpin to keep the feathers in the tent shape instead of fraying from false casting , just a drop of something like flex-a-ment or clear flexible nail polish , between your thumb and pointer finger and draw the feather through , tie it in , let dry and then do your trimming , i've been in the same situation as you mention and the tent wing will pull it off sometimes when others won't , one time that stands out in my mind is a hatch of nearly black caddis/sedges we get about this time of year , the tent wing seems to work best when this hatch is on , if anyone can figure this out it's you buddy. GOOD LUCK

 

[JohnnyUtah]

I know im pulling this out of the grave yard, but I love fly tying and no one suggested...

Tape, I lay the feather on cheap(thin) packaging tape, and press. Then you can cut out the shapes you want, and simply fold the tape wing over to form the tent. It stays together and is extremely durable.

 

[JackM]

I have used small pieces of orvis wader patch to make dual cut-wings. CDC underwing variation of the henrysville as described by RLee.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

I like to do a snowshoe under wing on my tape/cut wing caddis.

 

[jdaddy]

Tape . . . . that's a good idea.

 

[wsender]

Jay,

You might want to give this a try. The tea bag will give added durability and with this method, it seems like the sky is your limit.

http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatches/2011/02/02/teabag-winged-caddis-by-tom-herr/

Let me know how it works out, I've wanted to try this for awhile now.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

I will leave the teabag jokes alone...... The method is a good one, its the same as the tape, just with the tape you dont need glues.

 

[jdaddy]

Someone on that site was whining about the adhesive failing and teabag dissolving. I guess they were using water based adhesive? Jeez.

 

[gfen]

Too much work.

Tie a Usual, omit the tail and angle hair over body instead of straight up. Dubbing loop with the picked out pieces of fur you didn't use in wing is superawesomefantastic.

Gink when wet.

Fish.