The Stick Caddis is one of those unsung heroes of the fly box. A simple fly. Not pretty, but pretty damn effective, particularly in fooling big brown trout lazily swimming in the shallows of lakes.
This version is a bit different to the standard Scintilla Stick Caddis as it uses a plastic bead and peacock herl to create the body.
This pattern comes from Tasmanian fishing guide Daniel Hackett’s Fly Cards series of patterns and is used by leading brown trout anglers from that part of Australia.
It is a slow sinking pattern that’s perfect for casting to a point on a cruising trout’s circuit and setting a trap for him! This can be hung under a variety of dry flies including the Shuttlecock Emerger or Red Tag (it is more to keep it suspended than as a strike indicator, as in clear lakes you’ll see the fish anyway).
Materials list:
- Tiemco 100 hook (or equivalent) in size #10 to #14
- Two or three strands of peacock herl
- Killer Caddis glass bead (yellow, small)
- Pearl Mylar (optional)
Stick Caddis step-by-step tying instructions:
Step 1
Step 2
Lay down a thread base to the bend of the hook and tie in two or three strands of peacock herl. (One option here is to tie in a short tail of Mylar Flash or Crystal Flash).
Step 3
Wind the herl forward in concentric turns to behind the bead (you can do this by taking the thread up to the bead and hand-winding the herl, or buy wrapping the herl a few times around the thread and winding the thread forward). Whip finishing behind the bead and you are done!
