Fly tying: Corded Cased Caddis

Using dubbing to make corded flies creates both durable and fishable nymph patterns for various underwater insect imitations. Below, Tim Flagler ties his Corded Cased Caddis, but, as he notes, it could also be used to imitate a mayfly nymph. 

The tungsten bead of this fly is designed to get the fly down, so it's a good anchor fly for a double-nymph rig, and it's good for early season caddis nymph fishing. When I saw this fly, I immediately thought of the famous Mother's Day caddis hatch on Colorado's Arkansas River—this would be an excellent nymph pattern fished in the days leading up to the hatch, just as the water is coming up for runoff. 

But I think this pattern is almost an all-season fly, too. As I noted, it's a reasonable imitation of a mayfly larvae, and that means it can be dropped below a bigger fly just about any time of the year. 

Check it out and see what you think. 

— Chris Hunt