Caddis ("sedge") pupae are the life stage just prior to the winged adult and are most commonly seen in colors hovering around the green and tan spectrums. While caddis spend the most aquatic time as wormlike larva, the pupae-complete with wing buds, legs and antennae-can be very important to imitate especially in stillwaters and on rivers just prior to, and during, a hatch. It is during the pre hatch migration to the surface where these specimens become so available.

In addition, pupae imitations are suggestive enough to prompt arousal from fish at nearly any time. For that reason alone I often fish this pattern in a 3-fly cast while Polish or Czech nymphing or as the point fly on a stillwater nymph cast.

MATERIALS

Hook: Partridge CZF or SHR #12-#18

Bead: Black Tungsten

Weight: .010" lead wire on thorax only

Shellback: Clear 1/8" Scud Back

Rib: Fine Copper Wire

Body: Ginger Angora Goat (please experiment with other colors)

Legs: Imitation Wood Duck Flank

Thorax: Red Fox Squirrel Dubbing

Slip on the bead and place the hook in your vise.

Wrap some .010" lead wire around the thorax and shove it into the bead cavity.

Next, attach your thread amidst the wire to secure it in place.

Lay down a base of thread well into the bend of the hook. Return to the thorax.

Attach a section of 1/8" scud back at the thorax and secure it back to the end of the body. Return forward with the thread.

Catch in a section of fine copper wire, securing it rearward, on the far side of the hook, to the end of the body. Return the thread forward.

Get a healthy pinch of shiny angora (or seal) dubbing and clip it to shorten the fibers to 1/2"-1/4" lengths.

Apply tacky dubbing wax to your thread using downward strokes. I pretend the thread is square and apply one stroke per side, for 4 strokes.

Touch the dubbing lightly to the thread allowing individual fibers to adhere to the wax.

This is what you are after.

Rotate the bobbin clockwise in a heavy spin that will distribute and lock the fibers to the thread forming a fuzzy rope.

Wrap the touch dubbed rope to form a tapered body with lots of extra fuzziness. The above sample to 3 dubbing applications.

Using your thumb and forefinger, force the loose dubbing fibers toward the point of the hook.

Like this!

Fold the Scud Back forward and catch it with thread just behind the bead. 2 Wraps is fine.

Fold the excess back and secure it with 2 more wraps. This will lock the slippery material in place. Clip the excess.

Counter-rib with copper wire in open and even wraps. Be sure that you do not force the Scud Back to the side as you wrap--all ribbing tension should be directed either straight down or straight up. Pass the final ribbing wrap in front of the thread, down under the hook and slightly to the rear on the opposite side before securing with 2 thread wraps.

Clip the excess wire.

Trim the angora body close to the hook as shown.

Separate out the tip section of a Mallard duck flank dyed to imitate a natural drake wood duck flank.

Tie it in on the underside of the hook, just behind the bead to imitate legs. The length of the legs should reach the hook's point.

Clip the excess.

Touch-dub some Red Fox Squirrel Dubbing to a short section of thread.

Wrap a fuzzy collar, sweeping the fibers to the rear between each wrap. Whip finish after the last wrap. There is no need to make any thread wraps between the last collar wrap and the whip finish.

Clip away the top section of the fur collar and you are left with a completed LW's Ginger Caddis Pupae!