Wike's Party On Top Caddis: Realistic on the Bottom, Visible on Top
Tie by Sam Wike
Trout get picky when they see a lot of artificial flies on the water, and they are especially so when finning in a flat-surfaced tailwater river or a challenging spring creek. To combat that very issue The Fly Project's Sam Wike set out to master a series of problems related to caddisfly hatches on Montana's Missouri River. His Party On Top caddis is one solution to picky trout demanding an ultra-realistic underbody and convincing profile. Wike did this by meticulously selecting the body materials so he could achieve a perfect look. But how to make the thing float, and how to see the body of a fly that's partially submerged? His answer? Elk hair. But, as Wike would tell you, elk hair isn't, neccessarily, the best material for the job because it's course and often too bright. But elk hair does solve two problems: it keeps the bug afloat and it's easy for an angler to track when the surface turns from flat to riffly to choppy. It's also visible during a windstorm, and when rain pelts the water. We all know this: if you can't see a dry fly and those big rainbows and browns are just delicately sipping below the surface, you aint gettin' 'em. With Wike's Party On Top you'll see the eats and put more fish in your net, no matter where you choose to match a caddis hatch. Check out the materials list and the instructive tying video below. Wind up a few and then get out there and throw this spring and summer!
PARTY ON TOP CADDIS
Materials
Hook: Genryuu 406 Size 16
Body: MFC Sexy Floss
Wing: Hungarian Partridge
Sighter Wing: Elk Hair
Under Wing: Natural Mallard CDC
Head: Wapsi Squirrel Spikey Dubbing
Tying Tips: This is a major upgrade to a traditional Elk Hair Caddis and other similar patterns. If you want to level this fly up a bit more buy some really good CDC, like this stuff from Tom Gagnon's Spent materials
When you wrap the Sexi Floss forward, to create a more defined body, you can pull down on the material and mess with the amount of pressure to create skinnier or fatter bodies. ~Sam