Split hairwing Caddis Emerger a summer fare

Above photo: A small split-hair wing caddis emerger on a #18 Hanak 390 BL

A caddis emerger is a midsummer snack, often any time of the day for the life and times of the man in the brown suit. The summer caddis hatches come and go as arbitrarily as the weather here in the Northeast. In sizes #16-#20, the little brown caddisflies become a summer staple, and whether it's a cripple or an emerger, they always seem to entice a rise. Davy Wotton's Caddis Emerger from yesteryear is one pattern that comes to mind as a successful all-around caddis search pattern for the dog days of summer. 

(click on any photo for magnification)

Above photo: You can dress this fly with a scud-back abdomen, dubbed with beaver belly and Kapok.  The Hanak 390 BL is a great hook for this pattern, and tied on a #18, it makes for a deadly late-summer emerger for weary browns.

Over the years, I have created smaller variants of this pattern using a varnished quill, a pearl upper abdomen, and a cream Antron shuck. Typically, you see this pattern in sizes #12-#16, which would pretty much send the browns running in all directions in many of the spring creeks I fish. But in smaller sizes, this pattern is absolutely deadly. I have also replaced the fragile pheasant-tail wing case with a translucent brown Scud Back (as seen in the photo above). The abdomen is narrower and less bulky, making it easier to cast with a 1 wt. and 7x or 8x tippets, and the trout couldn't care less. These changes have made this pattern deadlier, more stealthy, and more durable in the spring creeks I fish most frequently. Spring creeks like the Letort Spring Run, Spruce Creek, Big Spring Creek, Yellow Breeches, and Depuy Spring Creek, to name a few, are pretty technical at times, and this pattern in smaller sizes excels over picky browns. Using Varner's extra-fine deer hair produces a tighter, more convincing split wing in smaller sizes, down to a #19 TMC 212Y or a #18 Hanak 390 BL, which are my preferred hooks of choice for this highly productive and streamlined emerger pattern.

Above photo: A TMC 212Y #19 is a lighter-weight option for this hair wing emerger pattern.

I have also found that a less bulky abdomen allows me to cast it easily with a 1wt. and a very gossamer furled silk leader with 7x or 8x tippet.

Above photo: The beginnings of this fly are quite simple: a cream antron trailing shuck and a ginger quill topped with a pearlescent tinsel tag on the top portion of the abdomen.

Above photo: Here you can see the small tag of pearlescent tinsel peeking through the rear of the Beaver Belly thorax. This little fragment of flash seems to really entice even the most weary midday browns without what I call “tinsel trauma” that typically sends them running.

Above photo: The Scud Back wing case is very durable and does not get hung up on the fish's teeth as do the traditional pheasant tail fibers with the original pattern.

Split Hair-Wing Caddis Emerger

Thread: Semperfli Nano Silk 18/0 Ginger

Hook: Hanak 390 BL #16-#18 or TMC 212Y #15-#19

Abdomen: (no bulk) Ginger peacock quill

Tinsel Rib Abdomen: Pearl

Thorax Wing-Case: Translucent Scud Back

Shuck: Cream Antron fibers

Wing: Varner's extra fine deer hair natural

Thorax Dubbing: Beaver Belly ginger

Legs: Barred Lemon Wood duck

Antennae: Barred Lemon Wood duck

Tying this pattern is not difficult, but in sizes #16-#20 it can be fiddly and, as usual, you need to be mindful of proportions at smaller sizes too. Using a very fine GSP thread is critical. Count your wraps for consistency. Varner's sells extremely fine deer hair for tying small dry fly patterns such as this, which comes in a multitude of colors.

This pattern is a wonderful technical search pattern in smaller sizes, and during the mid-summer season it's a great fly to cast in the slower shadowy seams with overhangs for larger trout. This pattern often gets vicious takes, probably because it represents a caddis launching from the flight deck, and the fish anticipates a quick takeoff. Give this one some practice, and it will pay big dividends on your favorite spring creek!

Thanks for letting me share.

~Clint Bova

www.cjbovarods.com