QUICK FLY: The Oscar-Mike Caddis

By Paul Shepard

The Oscar-Mike Caddis

Hook: 3X-long nymph hook, sizes 12 to 6.
Thread: Brown 6/0 (140 denier), fluorescent green 8/0 (70 denier), and black 8/0 (70 denier).
Underbody: Lead-free wire.
Abdomen: Spanflex, light brown and dark brown.
Rib: Spanflex, black.
Thorax: Fluorescent green thread and black rabbit dubbing.
Legs: Mottled golden straw Brahma hen feather.

Tutorials

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Tutorials

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 1/16

Bend the front one-third of the hook up about 20 degrees. Hooks made from high-carbon steel, such as Patriot, Mustad, and Tiemco, don’t snap when bent.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 2/16

Wrap two layers of .020-inch lead-free wire in the middle of the hook shank to form a tapered underbody. Coat the wire with a drop of superglue.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 3/16

Start the brown thread in front of the second layer of wire. Wrap the thread back over the wire underbody. Return the thread to the tie-in point.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 4/16

Tie a piece of black Spanflex to the top of the underbody. Stretch the Spanflex as you tie it in place. Return the thread to the tie-in point.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 5/16

Tie two pieces of Spanflex—one light brown and one dark brown—to the top of the underbody. Stretch the material as you tie it in place, and then return the thread to the tie-in point. Whip-finish and snip the thread.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 6/16

Start the fluorescent green thread. Cover the front of the wire underbody with thread wraps.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 7/16

Wrap both strands of the brown Spanflex over the underbody. To make the abdomen look more natural, I pull some wraps tight and loosen up on others. This adds realistic-looking dimension to the case. Once you reach the green thread, tie off both strands and clip the excess.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 8/16

Spiral-wrap the black Spanflex up the hook to the hanging thread; as in the previous step, vary the tension as you work. Tie off and clip the excess.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 9/16

Spin your bobbin counterclockwise to flatten the thread. Wrap a tapered thorax representing the caddisfly larva peeking out of its case.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 10/16

Strip the fuzzy fibers from the base of a hen hackle. Clip a V-shaped notch in the tip of the feather.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 11/16

Turn the fly over in your vise. Tie the hackle to the bottom of the fly with the shiny side facing the body. I like the finished legs to equal about twice the width of the hook gap.

Tying the Oscar-Mike Caddis

Step 12/16

Spread a coat of thin UV resin over the feather fibers where they meet the body of the fly. Once the resin soaks through the feather fibers, cure it with the light. Whip-finish and snip the thread.