How to Tie the Black Caddis Dry Fly Pattern

Aug 30, 2023 · 2 min read

Learn how to tie the Black Caddis dry fly pattern, including step-by-step instructions, a video tutorial, pictures, and much more. Improve your fly-tying skills here.

The Black Caddis Dry Fly is a pattern we never leave the house without during late summer brookie outings here in Maine. It is the perfect fly to imitate those darker-colored insects dancing over a boiling bog or cascading creek on a sweltering August afternoon. We’re deviating slightly from the original pattern by using CDC for the underwing, which adds a touch of realism while increasing the pattern’s float ability.

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Step One

Bronze hook clamped in vise with black thread wrapped on shank, beginning stage of Black Caddis dry fly

Start by running the thread from behind the eye to the bend to establish a thread base.

Step Two

Hook in vise with black thread body and mint-green synthetic tail being tied as a Black Caddis dry fly

For the ribbing, tie the Flashabou on the shank’s side nearest you, then cover the material with thread down to the bend.

Step Three

Hands fly tying a slender black caddis dry fly on a hook in vise, glossy black thread body with thin purple rib and bodkin

Reinforce the Flashabou by securing a strand of black thread over the flash. Leave the tag ends uncovered, and we’ll finish them later.

Step Four

Black Caddis dry fly with fuzzy black dubbing body and iridescent tail fibers on bronze hook in tying vise

We’re using Snowshoe Hare’s dubbing for the Black Caddis’ body. Form a small dubbing noodle onto the thread, then make overlapping turns from the curve to below the eye.

Step Five

Black Caddis dry fly tied with peacock herl ribbing and black dubbing on a hook held in a vise

Take the Flashabou’s tag-end and make evenly spaced, open spiral turns around the dubbed body. Secure the material, then clip the excess below the hook eye.

Step Six

Black Caddis dry fly with iridescent green bead thorax and black dubbing on bronze hook held in vise

Wrap the securing thread counter-clockwise to the rib up the shank, then secure near the eye.

Step Seven

Black Caddis dry fly with iridescent green segmented body, wispy gray CDC wing fibers clamped in vise

We’re using a CDC hackle for the underwing. Strip a few fuzzy fibers from the tip, secure it behind the eye, then clip the front-facing excess.

Step Eight

Hand holding bundled black synthetic fibers for tying a Black Caddis dry fly beside a fly-tying vise

Prepare the wing by clipping a small hair clump from the hyde, stacking them, then removing the unruly fibers.

Step Nine

Black Caddis dry fly with dense black hackle, slim dark dubbing and pale tails tied on hook held in fly-tying vise

Finish the wing by securing the deer hair behind the eye. The fibers should extend until they reach the hook’s bend.

Step Ten

Black Caddis dry fly with bushy black hackle and glossy body on bronze hook in vise, fly tying tutorial

Complete a whip finish, then add a dose of head cement. Now it’s time to give the Black Caddis a little twitch on the local trout stream.

Written by

Stephen D' Angelo

Stephen D'Angelo is a fly fishing expert with a passion for fly tying, gear, and time on the water. From small-stream trout to saltwater flats fishing, Stephen brings hands-on experience across a wide range of species and scenarios — and he's always happy to help you find the right setup for your next adventure.

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