Hot Creek Caddis

[scotfly]

This fly was brought to my attention by one of the members of SADAC. This was his most successful pattern of 2007.
The fly was designed by Eric Otzinger when he tied flies for Marriot's Fly Fishing Store. Originally designed, as the name suggests, as a caddis imitation for the Hot Creek. The caddis in question was a small grey one prevalent on the Hot Creek. It has also been used successfully during Ba?tis and other small mayfly (American classification) hatches.
The pattern as described to me had a grey Herl body. I have tied it nearer to the original using grey dubbing for the body. I think it will be a little more durable than Herl.
This is a fairly easy fly to tie, but it is a little fiddly.

Instructions assume right-handed tyers.

HOOK ? Kamasan B410 18 ? 20 (18 here)
THREAD ? Black Gudebrod 10/0
BODY ? Adams Grey Beaver
WING ? Fine Deer Hair (Texas White Tail here)
HACKLE ? Grizzle Cock

STEP 1
Attach the thread and wrap to the hook bend, then apply a pinch of dubbing to the thread.



STEP 2
Wrap the dubbing to form the body.



STEP 3
Select a small bunch or hair, about half what you would normally use. After aligning the tips tie in with two turns of thread. Do not trim the butts just yet.



STEP 4
Tie the hackle at the same point that you tied the wings in with one, or at most, two turns of thread. Don?t trim the hackle stalk.



STEP 5
Lift both sides of the wing and both ends of the hackle up and make a couple of wraps round the base to ?post? them slightly. Because the hackle has a small tie in point I post the waste stem with the wing which gives me a secure hackle with minimum thread wraps.



STEP 6
Wrap the hackle parachute style under the wing and tie off at the head.



STEP 7
Trim the waste hackle and whipfinish.



STEP 8
Finally trim the wing butts as shown.



On small flies of this style I like to varnish the head from the underside. Less chance of getting varnish on the hackle.

[Fishtales]

From below it looks like a Caenis spinner.