JUNE: Fly of The Month

Tying The Penns Grannom

                With the heat on the rise and the waters clearing up, caddis flies will soon be the daily staple on a trouts mind. They know them and they remember them. So even when no hatch is coming off fish will come to the surface for them often enough, even if simply out of reflex. The Elk-Hair Caddis pattern is a solid standby, and has brought many fish to hand for me over the years. And I have found it second only to the Penns Grannom. It's a personal variety of the fluttering caddis style, tied to bring fish to the surface on the streams I frequent most. It's one of those patterns that just seems to do a little better the more it gets chewed on as well.

Step#1

Step 1, I tie the PG pretty much standard on a #14, 1X fine dry fly hook. Using Brown 8/0 Uni-thread.

Step#2

Step 2, includes tying in 3-4 Wild Turkey tail fibers at about the 2/3rds point of the shank and wrapping back to the barb point.

Step#3

Step 3, form a thread loop at the point of the barb, then spin the fibers in the thread loop forming a tight dubbing brush. Then move the thread back up to the 2/3rds point of the shank.

Step#4

Step 4, wrap the dubbing brush forward forming a slender body.

Step#5

Step 5, Tie in a small clump of natural CDC fibers as an under-wing, extending the tips approximately half a shank-length beyond the bend of the hook.

Step#6

Step 6, Tie in a stacked clump of light elk hair at the same point and length as the CDC.

Step#7

Step 7, Tie in a #16 brown hackle at the same point as the CDC and elk hair.

Step#8

Step 8, Dub a slight head of Olive-brown Orvis Spectrablend.

Step#9

Step 9, Wrap the hackle forward tightly, form a small head and whip finish.

Good luck and see you on the water!