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AndyBaird
04-05-2010, 05:44 PM
Have started to find clipped hackle patterns faster and simpler to tie than parachute hackles. Looking forward to fishing the thorax dun and AK Best's spent/adult caddis this season...

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm207/VooDooBiology/22caddis.jpg

Hook: TMC 101 #22
Thread: Sheer 14/0 dun
Abdomen: Fly-rite, light tan
Wing: Partridge breast
Hackle: Whiting midge saddle

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm207/VooDooBiology/24thoraxside.jpg

Hook: TMC 200R #22
Thread: Uni Trico 17/0
Tails: Coq de Lion
Abdomen: Fly-rite, pale olive
Thorax: Muskrat underfur, pine squirrel cheek, finely chopped Fly-rite antron
Wing: Turkey flat, grey
Hackle: Whiting midge saddle

Danny S
04-05-2010, 06:05 PM
Fine ties Andy! I don't think I have seen a caddis pattern that small. #18 yes, but not a #22.

scotfly
04-05-2010, 07:21 PM
Great stuff Andy. I've been a fan of the clipped hackle for a long time, quick and easy to tie.

The C & C Midge is one of my favourites.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t149/scot2flyfish/cc-midge-8.jpg

HOOK - Partridge K14ST (Oliver Edwards Emerger)
THREAD – Olive Gudebrod 10/0
BODY – Any fine Polypropylene Dubbing (colour to suit ) I have used Olive here.
TAIL/WING/THORAX COVER – White Niche Siliconised Polypropylene Yarn
HACKLE – Grizzle Cock (slightly larger than normal and clipped underneath)

AndyBaird
04-06-2010, 08:25 AM
I don't think I have seen a caddis pattern that small. #18 yes, but not a #22.

Thanks Danny - the naturals don't go much smaller than a #20 on our local streams, so the #22 may be a wasted exercise... and a #26 (below, on a TMC 100BL #26) is pushing things beyond a natural extreme... :D But it looks nice in the flybox, and tying small usually improves skills with a pattern when you return to larger sizes.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm207/VooDooBiology/26caddis.jpg

Cheers Dennis - I must tie up some of those midges, they're a great imitation.

Thanks again guys.
Andy

Danny S
04-06-2010, 04:33 PM
One never knows, Andy. I doubt I would even hesitate at casting that #26 if they were sipping in a midge hatch.

garethl
04-07-2010, 07:32 AM
Love those patterns Andy, bit 'big' for you though aren't they? :roll: ;) :cool:

Really cool ties man.

G

trout-nut
04-07-2010, 08:05 PM
nice flies. I like those clipped hackles. Done a few myself over the years.

palewatery
04-08-2010, 05:45 AM
Very nice.

I'm sure they'll take that little caddis whether it's smaller than the naturals or not just cos it looks damn tasty :cool:

BrkTrt
04-15-2010, 11:03 AM
Love that caddis pattern.

Size 22 wow, tough on the eyes.


Thanks,


Brk Trt

jmp
04-17-2010, 04:39 PM
Those flies are beautiful!

I haven't tied flies smaller than #22 so I've stuck with parachutes. I've always wondered how well those clipped hackle flies float. I'd be interested in tying some up because they seem faster to tie and look realistic, but I wonder if they work in water that's not super flat. What's your experience?

jp

AndyBaird
04-18-2010, 07:04 AM
Hi Jp.

Vince Marinaro designed the thorax dun for educated trout on flat water, a sparse, clipped hackle reinforces a natural footrpint presentation. By increasng hackle density, clipped hackle flies can be fished on the choppiest of riffles with confidence. I fished the #22 caddis above for several hours early last week, covering flat, broken and very choppy water without issue. A touch of your preferred floatant should work wonders (not least as Marinaro tended NOT to use floatants, and I assume the quality of our genetic hackles today improves on the material qualities he used). I've found a very light dressing of old mucilin to work very well.

Another approach to assist floatation is to treat the fly during the tie with Fly-rite Dilly Wax - add to the thorax before dubbing and/or winding hackle to place floatant right in to the heart of the fly.

Just one small point RE: AK's spent caddis - if the fly takes on water and sits lower... then sub-surface, don't automatically re-treat with floatant but try a few drifts looking for takes on the drowned caddis. Same tactic works very well with spent spinners. You WILL find fish that haven't risen to take up top :ugeek:

Hope this helps.

Best,
Andy

jmp
04-18-2010, 10:25 AM
Thanks for the info, Andy. You clearly know your stuff! I'll tie some of those up for our season opener in late May. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

jp

Ernest
04-18-2010, 07:34 PM
I started fishing a size 24 version of the clipped hackle flies with a trico spinner pattern that I picked up from a book in the 1970's. They have three turns of hackle wrapped over a throax, which are then clipped close on the bottom. The flies are so small and the dubbed thorax adds enough to the flotation so that floatant is rarely needed, at least where fish line up to eat the tricos.

The hackle that was available in the 1970's was quite poor by our standards today. It was hard to find hackle small enough, and now we can find it anywhere, for a price. One of my gripes about today's hackle is that it's so stiff that I think that sometimes it acts like a hackle guard in the smallest sizes, and the fly bumps off the fish before the hook catches. One more reason to use a clipped hackle pattern.

The thorax flies, as described in Marinaro's books, are tough to tie according to his instructions. I carry some patterns that have wings shaped with wing burners, and hackle applied behind and in front of the wings. The smaller ones have their hackle clipped straight across, and the larger ones have a "V" cut out of the bottom of the hackle. Depending on how much hackle I use, these will float anywhere, but I usually save them for that particular fish that won't come up for my standard offerings. On picky fish they are very good.

trout-nut
04-18-2010, 09:00 PM
There are times when I keep a small collaspable sccissors in my vest. I will tye them with a full hackle and sometimes if they keep looking and not hitting I will clip hackles right then and there and then BAM!!!! the little buggers will smack it . Something different I guess. :)