LaFontaine Diving Caddis | www.johnkreft.com

Here is the fly pattern sheet for LaFontaine’s Diving Caddis.

Materials

 

Hook:

Daiichi 1550 or Dai-Riki 070, size #8 – 24

Thread:

8/0 to match body color

Body:

Ginger, bright green, amber, or gray Antron dubbing

Underwing:

Partridge, grouse, or mallard

Overwing:

Clear Antron

Hackle:

Dry fly hackle, color to match body

Directions:

  1. Begin thread on hook and move towards barb. Don’t trim tag end as it will be used for rib.
  2. Use tacky or “sticky” wax and apply antron dubbing using “touch dubbing” technique. Wind dubbing forward to the 2/3 point.
  3. Wind rib forward and tie off.
  4. Select a partridge feather and pull off several fibers,enough to create a wing. Tie in over body, extending roughly to hook bend. Trim butt ends.
  5. Select antron for overwing and tie in on top of partridge. Trim butt ends.
  6. Secure dry fly hackle firmly and move thread to hook eye. Be sure to leave enough room for head.
  7. Wind hackle forward using 1 1/2 or 2 turns to create sparse wing. Tie off and trim.
  8. Whip finish.

Wax options: BT’s Tacky Wax or Overton’s Wonder Wax

This is an older style fly and you may not be able to find the proper material to create the body. You can make your own “touch dubbing” by finding antron dubbing, cutting it in short pieces and placing in a coffee blender to mix. Otherwise, click here The Book Mailer for materials to tie LaFontaine flies.

Note: A Gary LaFontaine fly pattern. Be sure to read about LaFontaine’s Diving Caddis in my Throw Back Thursday Fly post for a listing of 15 different color combinations.

The Diving Caddis Imitates an adult female laying eggs. The fly is designed to be fished just under the surface film.

For a thick body, use the sparkle yarn dubbing technique, but apply additional dubbing to thread by rubbing the sparkle yarn on the thread and rolling it around the thread, making sure dubbing is on all sides. Then touch and squeeze the dubbing (don’t roll it like normal dubbing).