Sunday, July 29, 2012

Wet Caddis

Taking fish on dry flies is great fun, but as I learned the hard way on a recent trip when my friend Jirka totally outclassed me, trout truly do consume most of their food below surface.

I was fishing a dry caddis imitation and enjoying seeing the occasional strike on surface, while he was fishing a wet caddis and having fun getting 10 fish to 1 mine.

Once I got home I sat down and tied these simple wet caddis flies to do better the next time.


It is a very simple tie, the key factor being wing of Australian Possum hair. It has a peculiar wavy but coarse look and once wet is very mobile. I hear that it is commonly used in many Australian fly patterns.


The tie:
#8 Veniard Ospery heavyweight grub hook (1x short, 1x strong)
tan UTC thread, 70 den
ribbing of fine gold Gütermann tinsel
body & thorax from homemade rough hare dubbing
underwing of 5 threads of orange Krystal flash
overwing of Australian Possum guard hairs

5 comments:

  1. Nice fly! I will make many

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Fabrizio, I hope you catch plenty on them!
      J.

      Delete
  2. Hi there,

    What colour is the Australian Possum? as I am trying to order it..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Robbie, the Australian Possum (opossum) is by nature light brown or grey; it takes dye easily, so you can buy it in all sorts of colors.

      J.

      Delete
  3. Hi J

    Tell also how do you fish this fly, as a wet or dry?

    ReplyDelete