Pale Straw Elk Caddis Emerger
by @dekasso
CDC Elk Caddis Emerger · Dry fly
Soft wings over evening riffles
A CDC and elk hair caddis emerger in straw and tan, size 14, for trout rising to pale caddis in riffles and glides.
A pale caddis emerger sits in the vise, wing swept back over a slim segmented body. It is tied with straw dubbing ribbed in tan, a dun CDC underwing, bleached elk hair and a light ginger hackle beneath.
- Pattern
- CDC Elk Caddis Emerger
- Imitates
- Pale caddis emergence, typically summer evenings
- Hook
- size 14
- Tippet
- 5Xrule of three
- Dun CDC underwing rides low in film
- Bleached elk hair wing over straw body
- Light ginger hackle fibres under the throat
- Clipped elk butts form a neat head
- Size 14 dry-fly hook
On the water
A slim straw body, ribbed tight in tan, runs back under a tent of elk hair. Grey CDC fluff spills out beneath it, and long ginger fibres hang below the throat like legs.
Fish it when pale caddis start popping in the riffles and the light goes low. Dead-drift it in the film, then let it swing and lift at the end of the drift, the way a caddis struggles free.
CDC underwing comes first, and it should stay sparse. A small bunch traps air and gives the fly its soft, wet-looking outline; too much smothers the body and hides the rib.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 5Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, tapered — longer and finer in flat water
- Use 5X or 6X tippet and a light floatant on the elk hair only, leaving the CDC untreated.
- Dead-drift through riffles, then let it swing and rise at the end of each drift.
- Pair it with a small emerger dropper on 18 inches of tippet when fish are taking just under the surface.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Pale caddis emergence, typically summer evenings
- Target
- Trout
- Water type
- Riffles, runs and smooth glides on rivers and streams
- Also fishes
- Flat pools and slow tailouts during sparse caddis activity, and as a searching dry in pocket water on summer afternoons.
Make it yourself
Intermediate6 materials · 10 steps
- Pattern
- CDC Elk Caddis Emerger
- Style
- Dry fly
- Hook
- Dry-fly hooksize 14
- Thread
- Tan 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- RibTan thread
- BodyPale straw dubbing
- UnderwingNatural dun CDC
- WingBleached elk hair
- HackleLight ginger cock hackle
- HeadClipped elk hair butts
Details
- Imitates
- Caddisfly
- Colors
- Cream, Tan, Light brown, Pale dun
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (10)
- Mount the size 14 dry-fly hook in the vise and start the tan thread behind the eye, wrapping a base back to the bend.
- Tie in a length of tan thread at the bend for the rib.
- Dub a slim, slightly tapered body of pale straw dubbing forward to about three-quarters of the shank.
- Wrap the rib forward in even open turns to segment the body and tie it off.
- Tie in a small bunch of natural dun CDC on top, tips reaching just past the bend.
- Stack a pencil-thin bunch of bleached elk hair and tie it in over the CDC, tips about a quarter shank past the bend.
- Tie in a light ginger cock hackle in front of the wing and take two or three turns.
- Trim the hackle fibres on top so the remaining fibres hang down under the body.
- Clip the elk hair butts square to form a short, neat head.
- Whip finish behind the eye and add a touch of cement to the thread.
Proportions (5)
- Body: slim, covering three-quarters of the shank.
- CDC underwing: tips reach just past the hook bend.
- Elk hair wing: about one and a quarter times shank length.
- Hackle fibres: roughly one and a half times the hook gap, hanging below.
- Head: clipped butts about one eye-length long.
Tips (4)
- Stack the elk hair well so the tips line up into a clean wing edge.
- Keep the dubbing thin; the rib should show clearly as bands.
- Pinch the CDC gently and tie it with soft wraps so the barbs stay fluffy.
- Cut the elk butts with sharp scissors in one pass for a square head.
Common mistakes (4)
- Too much elk hair flares and spins; use a pencil-thin bunch and firm, controlled wraps.
- A fat body makes the fly ride high; dub sparingly and build the taper slowly.
- Floatant on the CDC mats it down; treat only the elk hair and hackle.
- Crowding the eye leaves no room for the head; stop the body short and leave space.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 14 · Materials only · 12 flies
$53.05
$4.42 a fly
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Tan 8/0 thread$2.95
- Tan thread$3.25
Materials
- Pale straw dubbing$4.50
- Natural dun CDC$6.95
- Bleached elk hair$5.50
- Light ginger cock hackle$11.95
- Clipped elk hair butts$5.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 14 · Materials only · 48 flies
$95.86
$2 a fly
Bought separately $100.90 · you save $5.04
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Tan 8/0 thread$2.95
- Tan thread$3.25
Materials
- Pale straw dubbing$9
- Natural dun CDC$20.85
- Bleached elk hair$11
- Light ginger cock hackle$23.90
- Clipped elk hair butts$11
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 14 · Materials only · 144 flies
$218.99
$1.52 a fly
Bought separately $248.85 · you save $29.86
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 10 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Tan 8/0 thread$8.85
- Tan thread$9.75
Materials
- Pale straw dubbing$18
- Natural dun CDC$55.60
- Bleached elk hair$22
- Light ginger cock hackle$71.70
- Clipped elk hair butts$22
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 14 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$203.05
$16.92 a fly
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 18 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$6.50
Thread & wire
- Tan 8/0 thread$2.95
- Tan thread$3.25
Materials
- Pale straw dubbing$4.50
- Natural dun CDC$6.95
- Bleached elk hair$5.50
- Light ginger cock hackle$11.95
- Clipped elk hair butts$5.50
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 14 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$238.36
$4.97 a fly
Bought separately $250.90 · you save $12.54
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 18 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$13
Thread & wire
- Tan 8/0 thread$2.95
- Tan thread$3.25
Materials
- Pale straw dubbing$9
- Natural dun CDC$20.85
- Bleached elk hair$11
- Light ginger cock hackle$23.90
- Clipped elk hair butts$11
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 14 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$350.99
$2.44 a fly
Bought separately $398.85 · you save $47.86
Includes Dry-fly hook · and 18 more
Every item in this kit · 19 items
Hooks & beads
- Dry-fly hook$35
Thread & wire
- Tan 8/0 thread$8.85
- Tan thread$9.75
Materials
- Pale straw dubbing$18
- Natural dun CDC$55.60
- Bleached elk hair$22
- Light ginger cock hackle$71.70
- Clipped elk hair butts$22
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
How it was made
6 iterations led here; the saved one is marked
1
2
3
4
5
6 Saved
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
“focus on the light brown hackle under the body rotate it 110 degrees counter clockwise”
fly pattern · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- caddis
- emerger
- elk hair caddis
- cdc
- dry fly
- trout
- straw
- tan
- ginger hackle
- riffles
- evening hatch