X-Caddis

X Caddis, Olive

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Tying Instructions

1. Create a thread base on the hook shank and bring the thread to a couple of eyelengths behind the eye.

2. From that position attach a small number of z-lon strands, about 3 shank lengths or more in overall length, by one end of the bundle.

3. Twist the Z-lon bundle 1 turn clockwise then loop the Z-lon strand back on itself so that the shuck length is about the same as the hook gap and not as long as the hook shank. Secure the looped strand on the shank just behind the first strand attachment.

4. Trim off the tag ends of the Z-lon shuck. Take your dubbing needle into the loop and twist it a counterclockwise until it is tight. Holding the twisted shuck, secure the shuck with thread wraps to the top of the hook shank to the bend of the hook or wherever you wish the shuck to begin.

5. Dub the body with a thin layer to form a slender body. It’s best to apply the dubbing sparingly to get a nice tapered shape. Therefore, you may need to reapply additional dubbing 3-4 times until the body is complete.

6. Here’s another application of dubbing. Bring the dubbing to about one eyelength behind the eye and secure with some thread wraps.

7. Apply some wraps of flattened thread between the body and the eye. This will be the foundation for securing the wing. Prior to attaching the wing to the shank, twist the thread tightly in a counterclockwise rotation. This will enable the thread to apply a tight wrap to the hair wing with less slippage.

8. Clip a small bundle of Yearling Elk Hair. Even the tips in a stacker and remove any of the fuzz. Position the hair tips so the the wing does not exceed the bend of the hook. Give 2-3 wraps behind the eye, then lift up the hair butts and give 2 wraps under the butts just behind the eye.

9. Lift up the hair butts and trim about a eye width above the eye so that the butt hairs are above the eye.

10. Apply 6-7 additional wraps around the wing and the shank. Whip Finish and apply head cement on the wraps.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	TMC100, #12-22
Thread	Danville Olive 6/0
Body	Olive Brown Haretron
Shuck	Ginger Z-lon
Wing	Cow Elk Hair

John Juracek and Craig Matthews

X-Caddis

The X-caddis was originated by Craig Matthews and John Juracek of West Yellowstone, Montana around 1980.

Inspiration

According to Matthews, however, the inspiration came from his wife, Jackie: “A bit of fly design history here. While John and I developed the X Caddis to fool the large resident rainbow trout of the Henry’s Fork, it was my wife Jackie who came up with the idea of incorporating the flies trailing-shimmering, sparkling shuck. Her reasoning was simple and she explained it to us. If super selective trout took our world-famous Sparkle Duns with their trailing shuck for emerging and crippled-impaired mayflies why wouldn’t the same thing work with caddis imitations too? We knew that caddis, like mayflies, can experience difficulties emerging from their pupal shucks. Many end up trapped in their shucks entirely or with the shuck trailing off their bodies and wings fully emerged.“

Z-lon

Originally, it was tied with beaver dubbing for the body but presently Antron or Hare-tron is used most often. Matthews likes to use a Z-lon dubbing blend. The fly resembles a caddis that has a trailing shuck and when fished in the surface film is deadly. Caddis shucks are nearly transparent so it is important not to provide to much material to this part of the fly. Sierran fly fishermen Ralph Cutter, George Bouvoin, and Jan Kurahara, changed the Matthews’ shuck by looping the z-lon back on itself, this created a more natural bubble-like appearance.

Colorations

Color of wing and body should be adjusted to match the hatch. The olive colors generally are used for the gray sedges and grannoms, tan colors are used for Hydropsyche species, and black is used for small grannoms and brachycentridae. The fly is fished with an upstream presentation using a drag-free drift. If necessary, floatant will be applied to the wings to keep the fly within the surface film. The important feature is to allow the body of the fly to float low within the film as an emerging caddis.

Tan X-Caddis

Hook	TMC 100 #14-18
Thread	Uni-thread Tan 8/0
Body	Olive Tan Haretron
Shuck	Ginger Z-lon
Wing	Cow Elk hair

Black X-Caddis

Hook	TMC 100, #18-22
Thread	Uni-thread Black 8/0
Body	Black Haretron
Shuck	Ginger Z-lon
Wing	Natural Medium Deer Hair