Chimarra Caddis Larva Pattern & Tying Instructions
Fly Tying Recipe:
Chimarra Caddis Larva
Show / Hide Chimarra Caddis Larva Transcript Video Transcript:
The little black Sedge or Chimarra is a small black caddis that hatches on Eastern streams. Imitating and fishing it's bright orange and yellow larva in February and March is something you simply must try. Here Matt Grobert is going to tie his remarkably simple but effective version.
He starts by flattening the barb on a Dai-Riki #125 size 18 Emerger hook. He then prepares a bobbin loaded with orange 6/0 Danville and another loaded with brown. Two bobbins really does make the pattern easier to tie.
Start your orange thread on the hook shank leaving a small space behind the eye. Cut a piece of yellow Uni-flex about 6 inches in length and tie it in securely. Now, while pulling on the Uni-flex to flatten it, take wraps rearward down the bend of the hook with your tying thread. Then begin wrapping back toward the eye with adjacent wraps to form an orange underbody.
Pick up the Uni-flex and give it a good pull to stretch and flatten it out. Start taking adjacent, slightly overlapping wraps up the hook shank. You'll notice the orange underbody shows through the yellow floss to produce a very lifelike body.
While keeping tension on the floss, tie it off with a couple of tight wraps of tying thread. Continue wrapping your thread forward to just behind the eye. With a good bit of tension on the floss, snip it off close.
Now pick up your second bobbin with the brown thread. Start the brown thread making sure you're overwrapping the orange thread wraps. You can then snip it's tag off close. You'll also notice that starting the brown thread over the orange thread has made it so you can snip off the orange thread without whip finishing it. You do, however, need to whip finish the brown thread and form a nice, neat head in the process. Snip or cut the tying thread free and your Chimarra Caddis Larva is ready to fish. Try it as a dropper off a larger nymph or all on it's own. Although there are far more complicated imitations out there, this ridiculously easy version really gets the job done.
He starts by flattening the barb on a Dai-Riki #125 size 18 Emerger hook. He then prepares a bobbin loaded with orange 6/0 Danville and another loaded with brown. Two bobbins really does make the pattern easier to tie.
Start your orange thread on the hook shank leaving a small space behind the eye. Cut a piece of yellow Uni-flex about 6 inches in length and tie it in securely. Now, while pulling on the Uni-flex to flatten it, take wraps rearward down the bend of the hook with your tying thread. Then begin wrapping back toward the eye with adjacent wraps to form an orange underbody.
Pick up the Uni-flex and give it a good pull to stretch and flatten it out. Start taking adjacent, slightly overlapping wraps up the hook shank. You'll notice the orange underbody shows through the yellow floss to produce a very lifelike body.
While keeping tension on the floss, tie it off with a couple of tight wraps of tying thread. Continue wrapping your thread forward to just behind the eye. With a good bit of tension on the floss, snip it off close.
Now pick up your second bobbin with the brown thread. Start the brown thread making sure you're overwrapping the orange thread wraps. You can then snip it's tag off close. You'll also notice that starting the brown thread over the orange thread has made it so you can snip off the orange thread without whip finishing it. You do, however, need to whip finish the brown thread and form a nice, neat head in the process. Snip or cut the tying thread free and your Chimarra Caddis Larva is ready to fish. Try it as a dropper off a larger nymph or all on it's own. Although there are far more complicated imitations out there, this ridiculously easy version really gets the job done.
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