Size 16 Elk Hair Caddis ???

Hooked wrote:

Last night I tried tying up some size 16 EHC's. Being that I was using a
size 16 hook, I opted for 8/0 Uni-Thread. I couldn't put a whole lot of
pressure on the thread to secure the elk hair without breaking the thread.
What size thread would be recommended to tie these?

Trying to comb out the underfur from the elk hair was a pain in the
uknowhat. Any suggestions?

You got some good advice from other posters. One thing no one brought up
is that all Elk hair is not created equal! Where the fur was taken from
the animal, the time of year the Elk was killed, and how it was cared
for all
contribute to the condition and type of hair. Texture, length, quality
color etc. are going to differ. Sometimes patches have alot of underfur
and I've gotten some that were sticky. This makes it hard to remove the
guard hairs. Washing will get rid of the stickiness. Usually I just use
my fingers to pull out the underfur, but on the tougher ones I use a dog
flea comb. It has very fine rounded teeth that work very well.

I've given up on ordering Elk hair unseen. I never end up getting what I
want. The texture or color is often wrong and I often get pieces with
lots of broken off tips. I'm sure the fish don't mind but I don't like
the way they look.

Willi

Willi wrote:


Hooked wrote:

Last night I tried tying up some size 16 EHC's. Being that I was using a
size 16 hook, I opted for 8/0 Uni-Thread. I couldn't put a whole lot of
pressure on the thread to secure the elk hair without breaking the
thread.
What size thread would be recommended to tie these?


Trying to comb out the underfur from the elk hair was a pain in the
uknowhat. Any suggestions?


You got some good advice from other posters. One thing no one brought up
is that all Elk hair is not created equal! Where the fur was taken from
the animal, the time of year the Elk was killed, and how it was cared
for all
contribute to the condition and type of hair. Texture, length, quality
color etc. are going to differ. Sometimes patches have alot of underfur
and I've gotten some that were sticky. This makes it hard to remove the
guard hairs. Washing will get rid of the stickiness. Usually I just use
my fingers to pull out the underfur, but on the tougher ones I use a dog
flea comb. It has very fine rounded teeth that work very well.

I've given up on ordering Elk hair unseen. I never end up getting what I
want. The texture or color is often wrong and I often get pieces with
lots of broken off tips. I'm sure the fish don't mind but I don't like
the way they look.

Too true...

The best elk hair for smaller flies would either be hock hair or
yearling elk hair. And the problem you mentioned with the thread
breaking could be due to the hair beings too stiff (as Willi mentioned)
or the thread having been exposed to the sun and having gotten damaged.
If I'm buying thread in a shop, I usually look to see where they store
it, and if it's near a window or anywhere it gets struck by direct
sunlight, I unroll a foot or so and wrap it a round a key and see how
easy it breaks.

I personally don't care much for Uni thread (I know, heresy) because
it's a "round thread"... a core of thread wrapped by more fibers. I
prefer a thread that can be unwound and flattened, like Danville or
Gudebrod. The Gudebrod 10/0 and 8/0 are great threads for smaller
flies, but their 6/0 is equivalent in diameter and strength to Uni 6/0.

Also, another suggestion for winging material on these smaller EHCs is
to try turkey flats. Once the fibers get separated, they look a lot
like hair.

Larry

"Larry Medina" wrote in message
. com...
Also, another suggestion for winging material on these smaller EHCs is
to try turkey flats. Once the fibers get separated, they look a lot
like hair.

Larry

Now there's a good idea! I have a few packages of flats that I've never
even tried for anything (I got sold on them as dry fly wing material).

Larry Medina wrote:

Also, another suggestion for winging material on these smaller EHCs is
to try turkey flats. Once the fibers get separated, they look a lot
like hair.


How about flotation? I'd think they absorb alot of water?

For a small skittering type caddis with a front hackle, I like stacked
guard hairs from mink tails. I tie them long so they extend the same
amount as a conventional tail. They're very stiff and light and result
in a very animated fly. (not my pattern but I don't remember where I got it)

Willi

In article ,
says...

For a small skittering type caddis with a front hackle, I like stacked
guard hairs from mink tails. I tie them long so they extend the same
amount as a conventional tail. They're very stiff and light and result
in a very animated fly. (not my pattern but I don't remember where I got it)


It sounds like Leonard Wright's Fluttering Caddis fly, from back in the
70's. I tie something similar too.

I like mink tails a lot. They are perfect for tailing mayfly patterns:
stiffer than hackle fibers, but finer than deer hair or bucktail.

Kevin

Kevin Vang wrote:
In article ,
says...


For a small skittering type caddis with a front hackle, I like stacked
guard hairs from mink tails. I tie them long so they extend the same
amount as a conventional tail. They're very stiff and light and result
in a very animated fly. (not my pattern but I don't remember where I got it)



It sounds like Leonard Wright's Fluttering Caddis fly, from back in the
70's. I tie something similar too.


That's it.


Willi

Willi writes:
For a small skittering type caddis with a front hackle, I like stacked
guard hairs from mink tails......
not my pattern but I don't remember where I got it

Leonard Wright, I believe, wrote about it in the 1960's, maybe before.
Tom

Willi wrote:



Larry Medina wrote:

Also, another suggestion for winging material on these smaller EHCs is
to try turkey flats. Once the fibers get separated, they look a lot
like hair.



How about flotation? I'd think they absorb alot of water?

They float just fine. Never have had a problem with them getting
waterlogged.

For a small skittering type caddis with a front hackle, I like stacked
guard hairs from mink tails. I tie them long so they extend the same
amount as a conventional tail. They're very stiff and light and result
in a very animated fly. (not my pattern but I don't remember where I got
it)

I usually go to a King's River Caddis or a Hemingway for skittering.

Larry

I've had good luck skittering the "Goddard Caddis"

Gene

"Larry Medina" wrote in message
m...
Snip
I usually go to a King's River Caddis or a Hemingway for skittering.

Larry

Gene Cottrell wrote:

I've had good luck skittering the "Goddard Caddis"

Gene

"Larry Medina" wrote in message
m...
Snip

I usually go to a King's River Caddis or a Hemingway for skittering.

Larry




I fish alot of skittered flies on my home river. In the Summer it's a
deadly technique. When the fish are onto it, I've even skittered nymphs
across the surface with success.

You can skitter just about every thing but I've found that the best
skittering caddis flies are as light as possible with longer than normal
wings that support the fly and a couple extra wraps of hackle. These are
more animated on the water. A "good" one will roll when given a little
nudge if it's set on a hard surface. They bounce and hop and roll and
they're easy to give subtle movement when that's called for.

Another technique I like to use is to put a soft hackle on a dropper
behind the dry. This serves as an anchor and you can bounce the dry on
top of the water by lifting the line so the dry leaves the water with
the soft hackle still submerged. You'll also get lots of fish on the
soft hackle.

Willi