Stillwater or streams, the Elk Hair Caddis is a great pattern…a must have pattern in my box. Tie them in sizes 12 to 18, with most in the 14-16 range. Wings should be mostly shades of tan, with some black. For body color, I predominantly tie them tan, green or black, with some brown and yellow. Personally, I opt for a mono rib or no rib rather than the fine wire ribbing called for in some patterns. The wing requires a degree of tension/torque on the thread so stay with 6/0 (8/0 for smaller sizes). Riding high or lower in the film, the fly flat catches fish. Dress it to float high, skitter it across the surface, pull it under. This pattern is serviceable into October.
