The Caddis CriMerger

[Hackle]

This is the culmination of much playing around trying to imitate the crippled caddis emergers. Those unfortunate little guys who just don’t quite manage to get it together at the critical moment of breaking the meniscus and getting the hell out of there. A trailing shuck, half open wing buds, backward facing antennae and a shaggy body with plenty of mangled guard hairs (legs) all contribute to the mess that is the Caddis Cri(pple )merger. Enjoy…

Hook: Grip 14723BL #14-#18.
Thread: Gordon Griffiths Shear 14/0 white.
Shuck underbody: Twist of UV and lime crystal flash.
Shuck: White Antron yarn fibres.
Thorax: Dark grey rat dub (lots of rufous guard hairs)
Wing buds: Grey CDC plumes.
Antennae: Wigeon feather barbs.

Step 1: Dress the hook with thread and tie in the antron yarn fibres and two loops of crystal flash, one of each colour.


Step 2: Hook the loops of crystal flash (I use a little home-made tool that is well over 15 years old by now.)


Step 3: Twist the crystal flash to form a loose rope.


Step 4: Wrap this rope to form the shuck underbody.


Step 5: Pull the antron fibres forward to form a loose cacoon of fibres around the underbody.


Step 6: Dub in a small section of the rat dub.


Step 7: Tie in a cdc plume at the base of the shaft with a few turns of thread. The feather should face forward. Pull the feather backwards trapping the feather fibres leaving about a hook gape’s worth of fibres facing forward.


Step 8: Form a loop in the feather by hooking it with the tip of a whip finisher and folding forwards.

[Hackle]

Step 9: Tie off, making sure to keep the bud to one side of the hook shank, and trim the feather shaft.


Step 10: Repeat for the second wing bud.


Step 11: You should now have two wing buds, one on each side with the remaining cdc fibres facing forwards.


Step 12: Stroke the loose cdc fibres backwards to form the legs below the shank and secure with a few wraps of thread.


Step 13: Tie in the two antennae facing backwards. Don’t be too shy with the length here.


Step 14: Dub the last little section of the thorax trying not to trap the cdc fibres flat, tie off and add a drop of Loon water based head cement (lovely penetrating stuff and environmentally friendly to boot!)


Step 15: There you have it, the Caddis CriMerger. Now go play!

[ebf]

Justin - awesome !

10/10 - you need to write a book boet - your flies, photos and tying sequences are fantastic. little cdc wing buds are brilliant.

can't wait for the next one...

[Korrie]

Well done.
Your fly tying is really refreshing, enjoying your SBS.

[Dieter]

Very nicely done!!

Thank you..

[Scythe]

Superb.

I'm going to nail a lot of SmallMouth on that.

[Wade]

Fantastic fly

Going to go home and try tying some

[Salty Bugger]

Bloody marvelous. Maybe one day I'll post some of the "earings" I tie Oh, sorry, that is another forum.

Agree that you should publish a book.

[jock0]

Fantastic fly

Going to go home and try tying some

Agreed 100% with Scythe and Wade - that'll be a killer on wednesday evening

[HolyGT]

Good looking fly.

Your Caddis flies smack off a Gary la Fontaine influence. Read his book? This guy was crazy about Caddis, probably more correct obsessed!

Love the way he uses antron to simulate the hatching caddis as well.