TYING STREAKING CADDIS
Lennart Bergqvist and Kenneth Boström invented the Streaking Caddis to imitate the larger caddis. They considered Rackelhanen a better imitation but had a problem that the fly would sink on larger hook sizes like #8 and up. The Streaking Caddis does not require a lot of materials, but it can be a tricky tie because of the spun deer hair.
Materials for Streaking Caddis
| Part: | Materials: | Size/Color: |
| Hook: | Akita | AK562BL #8 |
| Thread: | Textreme | Cream 6/0 |
| Body: | Antron Dubbing | Cahill Cream |
| Wing/Head: | Deer Hair | Natural |
Video Instructions on How to Tie a Streaking Caddis
Video coming soon.Slideshow on How To Tie a Streaking Caddis
Step 1 – Make the Body
Tie in your tying thread at the midpoint between the hook’s barb and eye. Leaving a space with a bare hook shank will make it easier to spin the deer hair for the head of the fly. Continue laying down even thread wraps until your tying thread is aligned with the hook’s barb. Make a small dubbing noodle with the Antron Dubbing. Build up a bulky and tapered body.
Step 2 – Make the Wing and the Head
Take a large portion of deer hair. Remove the fluff and underfur, and use a hair stacker to align the tips. This first part of deer hair will be the wing and a part of the head to use a hitching loop to secure the deer hair on the top of the hook shank.
Take another portion of deer hair. You do not have to use any hair stacker this time but remove any fluff and underfur. Removing the fluff will make it easier to spin the deer’s hair. Fold the deer hair from the wing back to make space for the head. The next portion should be tied in with the tips pointing over the hook’s eye. Make two loose turns around the new portion of deer hair and tighten. The deer hair should now spin around the hook shank.
Make a few thread turns close to the eye. Secure the thread with a whip finish or a few half-hitches and some varnish. Remove the thread.
Trim the Head
Now it is time to trim the head. The trimming is a messy job. Placing a plate under your vise can be a good idea. Use scissors with long serrated blades. Turn your vise around, so the fly is pointing to the left. You can use the wing as a reference point and use the vise as a hand rest.
Start carefully trimming the head. It is better to cut it too little than too much. Try to make a trim leaving the head with a barrel shape to separate the wing from the head. At the next step, you can turn your vise around again and start trimming the front part of the head. Now the head should have a cone shape.
Use a smaller pair of scissors to get the right size of the head. Finally, use a lighter even off the head. Be careful as the flame can burn more than you wish. Just moving the flame fast under the fly should be enough—brush off any soot from the caddis head.
How to Fish the Streaking Caddis
Deer hairs are hollow and filled with tiny air bubbles, and these fibers make the fly float. Along with Antron Dubbing, this fly is practically unsinkable. The Streaking Caddis is also a perfect imitation. You can use the fly for both targeting and searching for fish. When fishing it, make small retrieves of 10 to 15 cm. When you retrieve the fly, it will make a small wave and be visible to any fish close by.
