Hot Wire Caddis

Chartreuse Hot Wire Caddis

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Tying Instructions

1. Slip a black bead through the hook and bring up to the eye.

2. Attach 2 strands of Black Floss and a piece of Medium Ultra Wire just behind the bead, leaving a little space behind the bead.

3. Wrap the material with thread down to the bend of the hook and wrap back to just behind the bead.

4. Wrap the wire forward with every fourth wrap securing the floss on the top of the shank over the previous wire wraps.

5. Wrap the material to just behind the bead and secure with thread wraps.

6. Attach two goose biots in a cross pattern, similar to a prince nymph or copper john, just behind the bead on the top of the hook shank. The tips of the biots should not exceed the length of the hook.

7. Trim off the tag ends of the biots and secure with a couple thread wraps.

8. Clip some fibers from a partridge feather and secure behind the bead on one side of the shank. The length of the fibers should equal the biot length.

9. Attach a second group of partridge fibers to the opposite side of the shank in the same manner as the first.

10. Attach about 4 strands of Krystal Flash behind the bead for an overwing. Clip the tag ends of the material off and trim the flash wing to the same length as the biots.

11. Wrap dubbing as a collar behind the bead to cover the thread wraps. Use a dubbing that has longer strands such as SLF dubbing for movement.

 

 

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Daiichi 1120 #12-16
Thread	Uni-thread Black 8/0
Head	Black Tungsten Bead
Shellback	Black Floss
Body	Chartreuse Ultra Wire, Medium
Collar	Black Simi-Seal Dubbing
Underwing	Gray Goose Biots
Overwing	Pearl Krystal Flash
Legs	Partridge Fibers

Ken Morrish

Hot Wire Caddis

The Hot Wire Caddis was designed by Ken Morrish of Ashland, Oregon. Ken owns and operates a fly fishing destination business in Ashland, Fly Water Travel. His background with this pattern comes from guiding around Northern California and the Sierra in the 1980’s and 90’s. It’s his variation of a Copper John in which he wanted to adapt the pattern to caddis rather than the stonefly or mayfly profiles that the Copper John tends to imitate.

Ken eliminated the tail biots and utilized a curved hook, TMC 2457 or a comparaible Daiichi 1120. A couple strands of black floss is attached to the top of the shank as a shellback with the wire providing segmentation. Ultra Wire by Wapsi has come up with a number for very caddis compatible colors which Ken wished to take advantage of. Ken is a “Signature Tier” for Idylwilde Fly Company and was greatly influenced by the late Andre Puyans. The Hot Wire Caddis flies are marketed by Idylwilde and sold throughout the Sierra using four color combinations of Amber Wire/Brown Biot, Chartreuse Wire/Gray Biot, Olive Wire/Black Biot, and Tan Wire/Tan Biot.

The late Bill Carnazzo, Sierra Fishing Guide, wrote about his Partridge Hot Wire Soft Hackle in the Nov/Dec ’09 issue of California Fly Fisher magazine. This is a variation of the Hot Wire Caddis utilizing an Olive Partridge feather for a soft hackle and a Peacock collar. Bill used this pattern for short-line nymphing.

Amber Hot Wire Caddis

Hook	Daiichi 1120 #12-16
Thread	Uni-thread Black 8/0
Head	Black Tungsten Bead
Shellback	Black Floss
Body	Amber Ultra Wire, Medium
Collar	Black Simi-Seal Dubbing
Underwing	Brown Goose Biots
Overwing	Pearl Krystal Flash
Legs	Partridge Fibers

Olive Hot Wire Caddis

Hook	Daiichi 1120 #12-16
Thread	Uni-thread Black 8/0
Head	Black Tungsten Bead
Shellback	Black Floss
Body	Olive Ultra Wire, Medium
Collar	Black Simi-Seal Dubbing
Underwing	Black Goose Biots
Overwing	Pearl Krystal Flash
Legs	Partridge Fibers

Partridge Hot Wire Soft Hackle Caddis

Hook	Daiichi 1120 #14-18
Thread	Danville 6/0 Olive
Head	Copper Cyclops Bead, 3/32
Tail	Wood Duck Dyed Mallard Flank Fibers
Body	Chartreuse Ultra Wire, Small
Collar	Peacock Herl
Legs	Olive dyed Partridge Fibers