dry
Elk Hair Caddis
- Sizes
- #12–#18
- Imitates
- adult caddis · October caddis · Grannom
- Origin
- Al Troth, 1957
Al Troth's Elk Hair Caddis is the definitive adult caddis imitation. The palmered hackle body and tent-shaped elk hair wing create a buoyant, high-riding silhouette that trout slam in broken water. It is a must-have on every freestone river from Montana to Patagonia.
Recipe
This is one dressing. Tie it in other colors to match the hatch in front of you.
Workbench
Variants
Swipe to see In box and Add
| Size | Bead | Body | In box | Add to box |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #12 | — | Tan | — | — |
| #14 | — | Tan | — | — |
| #16 | — | Tan | — | — |
| #18 | — | Tan | — | — |
At the vise
Palmer a hackle over a dubbed body from bend to thorax, tie in a tent wing of elk hair tips, trim the butts to form a bullet head.
Tying video
Fishing now on
Rivers whose hatch chart names this pattern this month. Names and sizes only.
Not named on this month's hatch charts.
On the water
Fish the Elk Hair Caddis with a slight downstream twitch to imitate caddis skating on the surface. It is deadly in pocket water and riffles where caddis are active. On evening caddis hatches, skitter it across the current seams.
History
Al Troth developed the Elk Hair Caddis in 1957 on the Beaverhead River in Montana. Frustrated with existing caddis patterns that sank quickly, he designed a durable, high-floating fly using elk hair's natural buoyancy. It quickly became the world's most popular caddis imitation.