V-Rib or Vinyl Rib Caddis
It seems that each spring and fall when the steelhead are around, I find I didn’t tie enough flies in the off season to keep my boxes well stocked. Thankfully there are a few patterns that are quick and easy to tie, but more importantly, they are effective. The green caddis is one of them.
Caddis insects line the bottom of many rivers and their cases can often be seen clinging to rocks and logs. A gentle squeeze of that casing will bring the little grub-looking larvae out, and you will see the bright green resemblance to these patterns. While the naturals are very small (typically size 12-20), we fish them in larger sizes – serving, I think, more as an attractor or suggestion, rather than a perfect imitation of the natural caddis.
Steelhead Caddis – Dubbed
Fish love chartreuse, and some of you may have heard the expression – “It ain’t no use – unless it’s chartreuse.” We kind of say that as a joke, but when fishing’s tough, chartreuse can turn “fishing” into “catching.” The green caddis is a pattern in that color spectrum we use to bend the rod, and it often leaves us wondering why we didn’t try chartreuse earlier.
Although I feel this is one of the easiest fly patterns to tie, I often get requests to demonstrate in fly tying classes, so I thought I would post it on this website. The green caddis is also a great pattern to get new fly tiers interested in the craft as well as fill their own fly box.
Viagra Caddis
There are so many versions of this pattern I thought I would include a few as they are pretty much tied the same, it’s just that the materials are different. Other names of similar patterns include: PM Caddis, Boogie Woogie Caddis, Steelhead Caddis and more.
Tie a bunch of green caddis for yourself and chuckle at their ease and smile at their effectiveness.
Click to skip to fly tying instructions:
- Diamond Braid Green Caddis
- Vinyl Rib Caddis (aka V-Rib Caddis)
- Steelhead Caddis – Dubbed
- Viagra Caddis
Diamond Braid Green Caddis
Recipe
Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Dyed Pearl Diamond Braid –
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black
Fly Tying Instructions:
Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from
behind hook eye to above barb and back again to behind the eye.
Step 2. Tie in Diamond Braid on top of the hook – a hook eye’s distance behind the eye
(leaving room for the head). Wrap over the braid to above the hook barb and back again.
Step 3. Tightly wrap the Diamond Braid forward and tie off leaving room for the head. Tie off and whip finish.
Step 4. Using black thread, restart behind the hook eye. Take the tip of the feather
and pull back majority of the fibers and tie in between the body material and hook eye.
Select a feather so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the body.
Step 5. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.
Step 6. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.
Optional – You can tie this pattern and omit the collar.
Vinyl Rib Green Caddis
Recipe
Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Vinyl Rib – FL Chartreuse – Medium
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black
Fly Tying Instructions:
Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from behind
hook eye to above barb and back again to behind the eye.
Step 2. Concave side up, tie Vinyl Rib on top of the hook – a hook eye’s distance behind the eye
(leaving room for the head). Wrap over the v-rib to above the hook barb and back again.
Step 3. Tightly wrap the V-Rib forward, snugly in front of the previous wrap.
Finish where V-rib was tied in. Tie off and whip finish thread and cut.
Step 4. Using black thread, restart behind the hook eye. Take the tip of the feather and
pull back majority of the fibers and tie in between the body materia and hook eye.
Select a feather so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the body.
Step 5. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.
Step 6. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.
Optional – You can tie this pattern and omit the collar.
Dubbed Green Caddis
Recipe
Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Super Bright Dubbing – FL Chartreuse
Rib: Vinyl Rib – FL Chartreuse – Nymph
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black
Fly Tying Instructions:
Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from behind
hook eye to above barb and back again to behind the eye.
Step 2. Concave side up, tie Vinyl Rib on top of the hook – a hook eye’s distance behind the eye
(leaving room for the head). Wrap over the v-rib to above the hook barb and back again.
Step 3. Apply dubbing to thread and build a body to behind the hook eye.
Step 4. Wind rib through the dubbed body and tie off.
Step 5. Using black thread, restart behind the hook eye. Take the tip of the feather
and pull back majority of the fibers and tie in between the body material and hook eye.
Select a feather so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the body.
Step 6. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.
Step 7. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.
Optional – You can tie this pattern and omit the collar.
Viagra Caddis
Recipe
Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Ultra Chenille – FL Chartreuse – Standard
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black
Fly Tying Instructions:
Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from behind hook eye to above hook point.
Step 2. Use a lighter and heat up – not directly – the end of the chenille to singe and form a tapered end.
Step 3. Tie in the ultra chenille with the tapered end pointing
towards the bend of the hook. Advance the thread towards the hook eye.
Step 4. Wrap the ultra chenille 2/3rds towards the hook eye. Tie off.
Step 5. Take the tip of the hen saddle feather and pull back majority of the
fibers and tie in between the body material and hook eye. Select a feather
so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the bend of the hook.
Step 6. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.
Step 7. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.