The Elk Hair Caddis is by far the most popular trout fly for imitating adult caddisflies. It has been around for years and is sold just about by every fly shop in the World. The Elk Hair Caddis comes in many different colors to imitate a large variety of caddisfly species, especially when they are depositing their eggs. The Elk Hair Caddis fly was designed by Mr. Al Troth, a fly tier from the state of Pennsylvania. He later moved to Montana and became famous for his flies and was considered an excellent guide. The Elk Hair Caddis has been around since 1950 and as its name implies, uses elk hair for its wings. Mr. Troth designed the fly to imitate down wing flies, as they were called before anglers knew one species of caddisfly from another. Even today, most anglers aren’t really familiar with the many different species of caddsflies. Most hatch charts call the Yellow Caddisflies, Green Caddisflies, etc.
Mr. Troth used a wing profile and body style that mimics a whole range of small to large size caddisflies rather than a particular species of caddisfly. The versatility of the Elk Hair Caddis is a big part of its success. It can be fished dead-drifted over a rising trout that are eating egg laying adult caddisflies. It can be skated and twitched to mimic caddis depositing eggs on the surface of the water. Some species of caddisflies skitter across the surface to reach the banks as soon as they emerge and the Elk Hair Caddis does a good job of imitating them.
Anglers have two different chances to catch trout on adult caddisfly imitations. The first opportunity
comes when the caddisfly emergers, provided the species emerges on the surface. Some crawl out of
the water to emerge. The second opportunity is when the females are depositing their eggs. This is done different ways by different species of trout. Some dive and deposit their eggs on the bottom, others drop them from the air above the water but most species dip down and knock the eggs off on the surface. Some just land on the surface and deposit them. The fly work equally as well during the hatch as it does when the caddis are depositing their eggs.
Most anglers prefer to fish the Elk Hair Caddis dead drift. Others like to impart some action to the fly. The fly floats well and although it need a dab of floatant every once in a while, it floats high and dry. It even floats well in rough water. Elk hair is hollow and floats very well.
We sell the Elk Hair Caddis in a variety of colors and hook sizes to imitate just about all the major species of caddisflies. They come in brown, black, olive, green, yellow, and tan.
Copyright James Marsh 2013