Go bodiless in dry times
Kevin Longard
Skagit River Flies
  This is the time that all dry fly enthusiasts dream of all year long.
  Whether you are an angler on the Canim or the Bulkley during the salmonfly (acroneuria californica) hatch, crazy over high lake caddisflies in the interior plateau, greedy for green drakes on the Skagit, or angling alpine lakes with anything that floats, it is time for dry fly fishing.
  Because almost all of a fishes diet consists of subaquatic foodforms, dry flies are often a second choice for the average fly angler. Even when they are utilized, it is often because the fish cannot be taken with wet flies or nymphs.
  It is important, however to realize that the percentage of food on the lake or stream surface, during the warmer months increases incredibly! This is predominantly because each season, aquatic insects hatch to adulthood and develop lungs to replace gills. At some point they must move through the water’s meniscus. In most circumstances this means at least momentarily pausing on the water’ surface; they are extremely vulnerable to predation by both aviary and piscal feeders.
  Many species also return to the water following frisky fellowship to lay their eggs (oviposit). This is once again a very successful harvest time for the fish. Finally, when these spent flies die from their lusty actions, spilling their seed for the next generation, they lie, flaked out on the surface dead or nearly so, for predators to once again sip the bounty.
  This is, of course a very simple view of dry fly entomology, but nonetheless pragmatic. The Bodiless Caddis is not strictly a caddis imitation. Because of it’s down wing posture, it is a great caddis or chironomid rendering for the interior or the coast. On streams, it makes a great stonefly imitation. The flaring of the deer hair, however also makes it useful, particularly as it enters the fishes cone of vision as an up-wing artificial, normally mimicking adult mayflies. It skitters well, and bobs forever in churning river environs. As it has no body, just wing, one never needs to use floatant. A couple of false casts and it floats like new!
  Constructing the Bodiless Caddis is as simple as it sounds. Simply cover the hook with tying thread along the shaft to "desheen" it and to deter the hair from spinning during the cinching process. Use a light-wire dry fly hook, standard. Near the eye, tie a clump of medium-fine deer hair onto the hook.
  Make several turns through the butts moving forward to the eye, all the while holding tightly to the fur, disallowing it to waver from a dorsal posture. Upon reaching the eye, tie off and trim the butts short, elk hair caddis style.
  For more info on this versatile pattern, refer to "Fly Fishing British Columbia" (Ed. Karl Bruhn, Heritage House). Keep dry when fishing the summer waters!  Retailers:  Longard's Fly-Tying Kits click here

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