The Elk Hair Caddis, tied by Al Troth, is one of the most useful dry flies a trout angler can carry. Caddisflies are everywhere on Northeast streams, and this buoyant, high-riding fly matches them beautifully while floating through rough water that would sink a daintier pattern. It is durable, visible and deadly, a true confidence fly.
What it imitates
It imitates an adult caddisfly, the tent-winged bugs you see fluttering over trout water. The palmered hackle and flared elk-hair wing sit high and catch the light, suggesting a caddis riding or skittering on the surface film.
How to fish it
Fish it on a dead-drift like any dry, drag-free through likely water, but the Elk Hair Caddis also does something special: you can skitter and twitch it across the surface to imitate an egg-laying caddis, a move that can draw explosive rises when a dead drift is ignored.
Tip When a natural drift is not working during a caddis hatch, give the fly a tiny twitch or a short skate. Caddis flutter and bounce on the water, and that movement often triggers a trout that refused a motionless fly.
Sizes and colors
Tan, olive and gray in a range of sizes covers most caddis hatches. Match the size of the naturals first; a well-sized caddis in the wrong shade still catches, an oversized one often does not.