I sat down at my tying table one evening to whip up some of Dennis Potter’s Opal X Caddis for a upcoming fishing trip. I have used his Opal X Caddis pattern with great success on the Michigan and Montana streams I fish, for the past several years. When I was done I decided to try tying some Amber Iris Caddis. I had just recently purchased Craig Matthew’s and John Juracek’s “Fly Patterns of Yellowstone “ Volume 2 book,  along with a sample Iris Caddis and some of their Amber Zelon dubbing.  I tied several Iris Caddis per the instructions in the book, and laid them on my tying table next to the Opal X Caddis that I tied earlier. Looking at the two patterns sitting next to each other gave me the idea for the Opal Iris Caddis. I tied a few up and tried them on my area stream a few days later.  The brown trout residing there gave the Opal Iris Caddis a big thumbs up! 

(Click on photo to see a full size photo)

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Material List

 Hook:     Tiemco 100 – Size #16

Thread:  UTC 70D Burnt Orange

Shuck:   Amber Zelon

Body:     UTC Mirage Opal Tinsel (medium)

Wing:     White Zelon or White EP Fibers

Head:     Amber Zelon Dubbing

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Tying Instructions

Tie in the amber zelon shuck about 1/3 hook shank length behind the hook eye. Wrap thread back to the bend of the hook binding down the zelon shuck, and back up to the tie in point. Trim shuck to about 1/3 hook shank length.

Tie in a length of opal tinsel at the tie in point and half hitch. Wrap opal tinsel back to hook bend and then back up to the tie in point. Bind down well, trim tinsel and half hitch. Using a rotary vise makes this step very fast and efficient. Just make sure you take care when getting close to the hook point – it will cut the tinsel and force you to start over if you are not careful!

Take a short piece of white zelon or EP fibers and fold to make a loop. Tie in the wing on the top of the hook so the loop extends to the end of the hook shank. Bind the wing down with several tight wraps and half hitch. Trim the butt fibers close and at a 45 degree angle from the hook eye.

Dub some amber zelon dubbing on your thread and dub a shaggy head covering the wing tie in. Leave enough room for a small thread head, and whip finish. The dubbed head should be kinda fat from the bulk of the wing tie in, and that is how you want it to look.

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• Zelon Dubbing is available from Blue Ribbon Flies, West Yellowstone, MT
• Instead of Zelon Dubbing, any coarse or shaggy dubbing can be used
• I use size medium Opal Tinsel for #14 & #16, size small Opal Tinsel for #18 & #20

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This is a Bear Andrews pattern that I learned to tie at his tying class last spring. His claims to it’s effectiveness convinced me to tie them up to use for last year’s steelhead run and I had good success with it. It is a bead head wiggle-nymph pattern and I tied them in black with orange, chartruese, and pink bead heads. Tie some up for the upcoming run and give them a try!

(Click on photo to see a full size photo)

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Trailer Hook: TMC #3761 size 8 – 4

Front Hook: TMC 105 size 8 – 4

Thread: 8/0 or 70D thread to match body

Trailer Hook Body Tail: Pheasant rump feather marabou or Squirrel strip fur to match body color

Body: Black dubbing brush or Ice Dub

Hackle: Pheasant rump feather to match the body color

Collar: Pheasant rump aftershaft feather

Front Hook Body: Bead Head: 5/32 bead – orange, Chartruese, or pink

Hook Joint: 15 pound mono

Fur Head: Pine squirrel strip to match body

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Tie the trailing body first. Tie in the tail of Pheasant rump feather marabou or a pinch of pine squirrel fur. Wrap a body from a dubbing brush or dub one using Ice Dub dubbing. Then tie in a pheasant feather by the tip and wrap 3 -4 times. Finally tie in the aftershaft feather and wrap to make a fluffy collar. You have tied a sparrow nymph. Now slide the bead on the front hook and tie in a piece of mono behind the bead. Bind down well, slide the trail fly on the mono, form a loop and bind down the mono again with thread. Tie in the squirrel strip at the bend of the hook and coat the thread with Fishermans glue or superglue. Wrap the squirrel strip to the bead, bind down well and whip finish.

 (Click on photo for a full size photo)

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      MATERIALS

      Hook :  TMC 200R  Size 6 or 8

      Eyes : Large mono eyes

      Lead : .020 lead wire

      Body : Dark brown fur

      Tail :  Dark brown hackle fibers

      Hackle : Dark brown hackle of choice

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1.   Lay down a thread base on the hook back to slightly past the point where the hook bends.

2.   Tie in large mono nymph eyes about ¼ of the way back from the hook eye

3.   Tie in 1 piece of lead wire along each side of the hook.  Each piece should be tied in behind the eyes and extend back to the point where the tail is tied in slightly past the hook bend.

4.  Wrap thread back slightly past the hook bend and tie in a tail of brown hackle fibers.

5.  Dub a body of dark brown fur of your choice.  Dubbing should cover the back 2/3rds of the hook shank.  I like to mix a little sparkle in with the dubbing.

6.  Tie in and wrap hackle.  The hackle can be your choice of  dark brown hackle, brown dyed grizzly hackle, large grouse hackle, or brown pheasant feather (shown in picture of fly).

7.  Dub the remaining 1/3^rd of the hook shank, figure 8 dubbing around the mono eyes to cover the thread tie in point.

8.  This fly can also be tied in Olive or a light brown/cream color (which simulates a recently molted nymph).

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I have found this fly to be very effective for bass and panfish.  It will also work well for trout in lakes and rivers.  I will often add a small micro split shot if I need to sink it a little deeper than what the fly would sink with the weight tied in on the fly underbody.  This fly can also be tied in as a dropper with a small bass or a panfish popper.  I usually retrieve this fly with two shorts strips followed by a short pause.  Most hits are on the pause when the nymph sinks a little.