I was weak and went with the Variant instead

“Former” commercial fly tiers have all types of foibles, scars, and nervous tics – it comes from being hunched over the vice staring at dust motes, dim lighting, and tiny hooks.

I have a “love-hate” relationship with the noble Elk Hair Caddis; it’s a great fly, buoyant as hell, sturdy of construction, elegant, simple, and effective. It has earned its rightful place as one of my favorite dry flies – and continues to earn my wrath as a fly tyer.

Genetic hackles are the culprit, you get some elegant, long, size 16 hackle – with enough density and barbules to really make a well dressed fly – and you palmer it up the Elk Hair’s shank burning up 2/3’rds of all those great chicken genes – you’re left with not enough hackle to tie a second fly, and too much to throw away.

Cue nervous tic.

Even though we’re retired – we still hate waste. It’s the reason we have 2000 extra size 22 hooks and only two dozen 16’s, or why our neck drawer has 84 immaculate ginger capes – and all the brown and grizzly is picked over – with even the moths chanting in protest.

Every season I suffer bouts of “post traumatic customer syndrome” – the sweaty night terrors resulting from tiny flies ordered in massive quantities, with me already behind schedule. 

Chuck Stranahan solved my Elk Hair dilemma with an introduction to the Caddis Variant. It’s as simple, as effective, and uses less hackle – something us former tying whores can really appreciate.

Dun Caddis Variant

Use the fingernail to press the wing flat against the hook, in doing so it’ll flair the wing horizontally into a fan covering nearly 90 degrees. 3 turns of oversized hackle completes the pattern. A standard genetic neck hackle can tie two of them, making them easy on the budget as well.

Change the colors to suit whichever critter dominates your local water. It’s an elegant sparse dressing that floats like a cork due to the large surface area, for me it’s a wonderful change of pace from tying the Elk Hair Caddis.

Chuck Stranahan is featured prominently in my “night terrors” as he was the proprietor of Hat Creek Anglers back in the day. Every conversation started with “I need 100 dozen #16’s …” then we’d talk about the small sizes…

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3 thoughts on “I was weak and went with the Variant instead

  1. TCWriter

    Just a money-saving tip from the Underground’s Director in Charge of Tying Cheap Flies. After all, I’m the guy who decided — before ever fishing one — that Comparaduns were the Best Dry Fly Ever Designed simply because they didn’t require expensive hackle.

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