Another Great Fly
The Opal & Elk Caddis is another killer caddisfly imitation tied with an opal tinsel body. For this pattern, I replaced the dubbed body on Al Troth’s Elk-Hair Caddis with tinsel. That is the major difference, but I also changed the hackle and the head of the fly.
The hackle diameter on the typical Elk-Hair Caddis is far too large. It is not uncommon to see hackle equal to twice the hook gap or larger on this pattern; hackle that size is simply too large to allow the fly to sit properly on the water. Select hackle at least one hook size smaller and you’ll have it just about right. The hackle tips should be no longer than 1½ times the hook gap; a little smaller is even better. The fly will ride more realistically on the water and work better when you need to impart the skitter-and-pop action that often produces strikes. The Opal & Elk Caddis is one of my favorite dry flies while searching for trout during dark rainy days or even after dark. I might not be able to see the fly in the dark, but the trout certainly can. Remember that the fish have wonderful night vision and can see the fly silhouetted against the evening sky. With the addition of the opal tinsel body, the fish have a glowing beacon to home in on.
Two at a Time Work Well
I love to fish both flies in tandem. This is one of my favorite methods for searching vast tailwater fisheries like the Missouri. During the summer, when we are fortunate enough to have overlapping hatches of Tricos and PMDs, I tie up a rig with an Opal & Elk and an Opal X-Caddis spaced two to three feet apart. When the morning and early afternoon hatches and spinner falls are over, and we slip into the angling doldrums under the high sun, I cast about with the two-fly rig and catch nice trout all afternoon. It’s a wonderful feeling to have other anglers shouting to you, pleading for advice. I simply call back, “caddis.” I’m not really lying; I just don’t offer the particulars.
When using this double-fly system on the Au Sable and other streams where there is plenty of cover such as logs, sweepers, and overhanging trees, it is important to put the Opal & Elk Caddis on the very end of your leader. With the flies set up this way, you can cast the hackled fly back and under cover, then skitter it out or position it to float along a log or sweeper. It can be deadly.
Opal & Elk Caddis
Hook: Regular dry fly hook, your choice of sizes.
Thread: 50 or 55 denier gel-spun thread.
Body: Pearl opal tinsel.
Hackle: Dry-fly hackle, your choice of color.
Rib: Gold wire.
Wing: Elk hair
Tying the Opal & Elk Caddis
What Else You Need to Know
Although the heart of these flies is opal tinsel, we need to look at two other crucial components: the thread and the hair.
As shown in the accompanying photographs, both flies have very distinct flared heads. You can’t accomplish this using standard tying thread of any size; sizes 8/0 (70 denier) and 6/0 (140 denier) are not strong enough to adequately flare the hair, and size 3/0 (210 denier) is too thick and adds bulk. Fifty or 55 denier gel-spun thread is ideal for tying these flies, and another great thread is Benecchi 10/0.
I use only natural dark elk hair from Blue Ribbon Flies for my Opal & Elk Caddis. This fabulous hair used to be called Ultra Select Elk for good reason: It was superb and often in limited supply. I can make about 325 size 16 and 14 caddisfly wings from a 6-by-6-inch piece. When you order, ask for a piece with the shortest possible black tips because once you get past the tips, the fibers become hollow.
I am just as particular about the hair I use on the Opal X-Caddis. I use deer hair for the wings. The fl y tends to be small and the finer deer hair makes a more corklike head. During my trips to Whitetail Fly Tying Supplies in Toledo, Ohio, I dig through a pile of deer skins to find the perfect hair. I seek out the smaller hides, but few skins, even from small deer, have the perfect hair that averages less that one inch long, has very short dark tips, and is hollow. When I do find this hair, it is usually located just above the white belly hair in front of the hind legs. Hair with longer and wispier tips is less hollow. If you don’t have the opportunity to look at a whole deer skin, be sure to tell your supplier what you are looking for, but whenever you can, check it out firsthand at your local fly shop.
When making these caddisflies, tie on bulky wings. Cut about one and a halftimes the hair from the skin that you normally would. Clean it, stack it, and cull out the short hairs if necessary. Does it look like too much hair for the fly? Good!
Tie up a bunch of these wonderful caddisflies. Fish them this season, and you will become a believer in the wonders of opal tinsel.
Dennis Potter lives in Michigan. Dennis travels across the Upper Midwest giving fl y-tying demonstrations that receive rave reviews. To learn more about his demos and classes, go to Dennis’s Web site, www.riverhouseflyco.com.