This week’s Tying Tuesday features four frizzy flies that make use of a variety of dubbings, hairs, and feathers. We kick things off with a caddisfly pattern from McFly Angler that sports turkey-slip wings to achieve a lifelike profile and a white parachute post for visibility. Next, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions serves up a Driftless Area classic: John Bethke’s Pink Squirrel . . . but with a twist.
If you dig small Woolly Buggers, you’re going to love Shawn Holsinger’s cool version with a CDC body. Finally, Collin Morrill of Strike-Zone Fly Fishing demonstrates how to tie a killer pattern created by the late Flip Pallot, designed to catch backcountry redfish, snook, and tarpon.
Schroeder’s Parachute Caddis
Hook: Barbless dry-fly hook, size 14.
Thread: Olive Veevus, 10/0.
Post: Calf body hair, cleaned and stacked
Abdomen: Olive dubbing.
Wing: Cinnamon Tip turkey tail slip.
Resin: Solarez Flex Formula.
Hackle: Grizzly saddle hackle.
Thorax: Olive dubbing.
Adhesive: Solarez Ultra Thin.
Tools: Small stacker, razor blade.
Pink Squirrel Variant
Hook: Scud/pupa hook (here, a Dai-Riki #135), sizes 12 through 18.
Bead: Gold tungsten bead, 3/32-inch.
Thread: Black or bright pink, 8/0 or 70-denier.
Rib: Red Ultra Wire, small.
Adhesive #1: Dubbing Wax.
Body: Tan Antron, natural fox-squirrel, and olive Ice Dub mixed in a 4:2:1 ratio.
Thorax: Pink Ultra Chenille, micro.
Adhesive #2: Head cement (here, Sally Hansen Hard-As-Nails).
Tools: Plunger-style hackle pliers, dubbing whirl, whip-finisher.
CDC Mini Bugger
Hook: Barbless jig hook (here an HFS Jig Hook), size 10.
Bead: Copper tungsten slotted bead, 4.0mm.
Thread: Brown, 6/0 or 140-denier.
Tail: Brown marabou.
Body: Brown Fulling Mill CDC dubbing.
Tools: Dubbing brush.
Flip Pallot’s “Bushwood”
Hook: Gamakatsu L11S-3H, size 4.
Thread: Brown, 3/0 or 210-denier.
Eyes: Black bead-chain eyes, x-large.
Tail: Natural Golden Badger neck hackle.
Flash: Gold Krystal Flash and Bronze Flashabou.
Body: Black bear hair.
Collar: Tying thread.
Weedguard: Hard monofilament.
Head: Tying thread.
Adhesive: Head cement (here Hareline Hard as Hull Penetrator).
