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Amber Quill Caddis Dry Fly

by @dekasso

Amber Quill Caddis Dry Fly — a fly pattern by Dekasso
More by @dekasso

Dry fly

Smoke-grey caddis riding low at dusk

A size 14 caddis dry fly with an amber quill body, dun CDC fibers and a top-only brown hackle, tied for trout during caddis activity.

A slim caddis dry fly with a banded amber body, a smoky grey tent of fibers and a brown collar standing only above the shank. The body is stripped peacock quill dyed amber, topped with dun CDC fibers and a brown dry-fly hackle trimmed flat underneath.

Imitates
Adult caddis activity, typically late-spring and summer evenings
Hook
size 14
Tippet
5Xrule of three
  • Banded amber stripped quill body
  • Dun CDC fibers swept over the back
  • Brown hackle trimmed flat underneath
  • Sits low in the surface film
  • Size 14 dry-fly hook

On the water

A dry fly riding the surface of a trout river

Amber bands run down the body like a tiny striped straw. Over it sits a swept-back plume of smoky grey, a few fibers catching the light, and a short brown collar that stands up and stops at the shank.

Fish it on riffles and the soft edges of glides as the evening light goes. With nothing below the hook, it sits in the film the way a tired adult caddis does. Dead-drift it first, then give a small twitch near the end of the drift.

Stripped quill is the part to get right. Soak it before wrapping, lay each turn tight against the last so the pale and dark bands read clearly, and wrap a single layer for a slim, even body.

A coiled leader, tippet spools and an open fly box on slate

Rigging

Tippet
5Xhook size divided by three
Leader
Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
  • Rig on 5X tippet with a long, fine leader for flat water.
  • Dress the hackle lightly and keep floatant off the CDC; dry it with a few false casts.
  • Dead-drift first, then add a short twitch to suggest a skittering adult.

Where and when

Hatch
Adult caddis activity, typically late-spring and summer evenings
Target
Trout
Water type
Riffles, flat glides and slow pool tails
Also fishes
Also works on stillwater margins during evening caddis activity and on slow pools where a low, quiet dry fly suits the water.

Make it yourself

Intermediate4 materials · 10 steps

Style
Dry fly
Hook
standard dry-fly hooksize 14
Thread
tan 8/0
Fly-tying materials laid out on a dark bench

Materials in the order they go on the hook

  1. Bodyamber-dyed stripped peacock quill
  2. Wingdun CDC fibers
  3. Hacklebrown dry-fly hackle
  4. Headtan 8/0 thread

Details

Imitates
Caddisfly
Colors
Amber, Dun grey, Brown, Cream
A fly-tying vise holding a bare hook on a wooden bench

How to tie it

The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
  1. Mount the hook in the vise and start the tan thread just behind the eye, then wrap a thin base back to the bend.
  2. Tie in the soaked amber quill by its thin tip at the bend, with the darker edge facing you.
  3. Bring the thread forward to the 70% point of the shank in smooth, flat wraps.
  4. Wrap the quill forward in touching turns to show even bands, tie off at the 70% point and trim.
  5. Stack a small bunch of dun CDC fibers and tie them in on top so the tips reach just past the bend.
  6. Trim the CDC butts at an angle and cover them with a few neat thread wraps.
  7. Tie in the brown hackle by its stem in front of the wing, shiny side forward.
  8. Wrap the hackle three to four turns toward the eye, tie off and trim the tip.
  9. Trim the hackle fibers under the shank flat so the collar stands only on top and the sides.
  10. Build a small, tidy tan head, whip finish and trim the thread.
Proportions (4)
  • Body covers the rear 70% of the shank and stays slim.
  • Wing tips reach just past the bend, about one and a quarter shank lengths.
  • Hackle fibers about one and a half times the hook gap.
  • Head small, no wider than the hook eye.
Tips (4)
  • Soak the quill in warm water for a few minutes so it wraps without splitting.
  • A thin coat of head cement over the quill body adds strength without hiding the bands.
  • Use few CDC fibers; a sparse wing floats better and keeps the outline clean.
  • Trim the underside with the hook flipped so the cut is straight and level.
Common mistakes (4)
  • Gaps between quill turns blur the banding; keep each wrap touching the last.
  • A thick thread base makes a lumpy body; keep it to one flat layer.
  • Too much hackle crowds the eye; stop at three or four turns.
  • Trimming the underside unevenly tilts the fly; cut flush in one pass.
A dozen-fly materials kit laid out on slate with its recipe card.
The kit

Every kit size

Materials only

Size 14 · Materials only · 12 flies

$40.25

$3.35 a fly

Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 6 more

Every item in this kit · 7 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry-fly hook$6.501 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Tan 8/0 thread$2.951 spool

Materials

  • Amber-dyed stripped peacock quill$5.951 pack
  • Dun CDC fibers$6.951 pack
  • Brown dry-fly hackle$11.951 saddle pack

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · Materials only · 48 flies

$77.43

$1.61 a fly

Bought separately $81.50 · you save $4.07

Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 6 more

Every item in this kit · 7 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry-fly hook$132 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Tan 8/0 thread$5.902 spools

Materials

  • Amber-dyed stripped peacock quill$11.902 packs
  • Dun CDC fibers$20.853 packs
  • Brown dry-fly hackle$23.902 saddle packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · Materials only · 144 flies

$184.58

$1.28 a fly

Bought separately $209.75 · you save $25.17

Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 6 more

Every item in this kit · 7 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry-fly hook$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Tan 8/0 thread$17.706 spools

Materials

  • Amber-dyed stripped peacock quill$23.804 packs
  • Dun CDC fibers$55.608 packs
  • Brown dry-fly hackle$71.706 saddle packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

With vise & tools

Size 14 · With vise & tools · 12 flies

$190.25

$15.85 a fly

Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 15 more

Every item in this kit · 16 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry-fly hook$6.501 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Tan 8/0 thread$2.951 spool

Materials

  • Amber-dyed stripped peacock quill$5.951 pack
  • Dun CDC fibers$6.951 pack
  • Brown dry-fly hackle$11.951 saddle pack

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Tools

  • Rotary pedestal vise$791
  • Ceramic bobbin$141
  • Fine-point scissors$161
  • Whip finisher$91
  • Hackle pliers$71
  • Bodkin$51
  • Bobbin threader$41
  • Dubbing wax$41
  • Canvas tool roll$121

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · With vise & tools · 48 flies

$219.93

$4.58 a fly

Bought separately $231.50 · you save $11.57

Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 15 more

Every item in this kit · 16 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry-fly hook$132 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Tan 8/0 thread$5.902 spools

Materials

  • Amber-dyed stripped peacock quill$11.902 packs
  • Dun CDC fibers$20.853 packs
  • Brown dry-fly hackle$23.902 saddle packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Tools

  • Rotary pedestal vise$791
  • Ceramic bobbin$141
  • Fine-point scissors$161
  • Whip finisher$91
  • Hackle pliers$71
  • Bodkin$51
  • Bobbin threader$41
  • Dubbing wax$41
  • Canvas tool roll$121

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

Size 14 · With vise & tools · 144 flies

$316.58

$2.20 a fly

Bought separately $359.75 · you save $43.17

Includes Standard dry-fly hook · and 15 more

Every item in this kit · 16 items

Hooks & beads

  • Standard dry-fly hook$351 × 100 + 2 × 25 · size 14

Thread & wire

  • Tan 8/0 thread$17.706 spools

Materials

  • Amber-dyed stripped peacock quill$23.804 packs
  • Dun CDC fibers$55.608 packs
  • Brown dry-fly hackle$71.706 saddle packs

Finishing

  • Head cement$5.951 bottle

Tools

  • Rotary pedestal vise$791
  • Ceramic bobbin$141
  • Fine-point scissors$161
  • Whip finisher$91
  • Hackle pliers$71
  • Bodkin$51
  • Bobbin threader$41
  • Dubbing wax$41
  • Canvas tool roll$121

Guide

  • Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded1

The creator

An illustrated portrait for Dekasso (an illustration, not a photograph)

Dekasso

@dekasso

Wherever the truck rolls to a stop.

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See everything by @dekasso

How it was made

2 iterations led here; the saved one is marked

  1. Iteration 1 of 21
  2. Iteration 2 of 22 Saved

Remixes

2 steps back

  1. Smoke Wing Thread Body Caddis@dekasso · the original
  2. Amber Glass Caddis Emerger — a fly pattern by DekassoAmber Glass Caddis Emerger@dekasso
  3. Amber Quill Caddis Dry Flyyou are here

1 remix of this

Ginger Split Tail Mayfly Dun — a fly pattern by Dekasso@dekasso

Where this came from

“trim the hackle under the hook so it has hackle only above the hook”

fly pattern · made

1 remix

25 — from 1 remix, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.

  • caddis
  • dry fly
  • amber
  • quill body
  • dun
  • brown hackle
  • trout
  • evening hatch
  • size 14
  • flat water