How to Tie an October Caddis Pupa

Producer: tightlinevideo

I’m not sure the fly tying or fly fishing world really needs another October Caddis Pupa imitation, but I’m particularly fond of this one. And it’s been working quite well for me this fall, especially since waters have cooled down a bit.

The fly starts with a somewhat unique Fulling Mill 5115 barbless, 3x heavy, size 10 hook. After getting the hook firmly secured in the jaws of my tying vise, with the eye up a bit so my tying thread can’t go spinning off of it, I load a bobbin with a spool of UTC 70 in dark brown. Get the thread started on the hook shank leaving a full eye-length space behind the back edge of the hook eye. Once it’s well-anchored, you can snip the excess tag off close.

Small-sized copper brown Ultra wire is used to rib and segment the body of the fly. An 8” length will make numerous flies. Begin securing one end of the wire to the top of the hook shank and, as you take thread wraps rearward, allow the thread to push the wire to the far side of the hook. Continue taking rearward wraps, binding the wire to the far side, well down into the bend. Then return your tying thread forward to the initial tie-in point.

Brown Antron yarn is used to darken the rear top of the fly. Many of the naturals are colored in a similar manner. Begin securing one end of the yarn to the top of the hook shank, then pull rearward and continue taking wraps to bind it down on top. As with the wire, go well down into the hook bend before returning your tying thread to the initial tie-in point.

Sow and Scud dubbing in an amber color is used to create the abdomen of the fly. Pluck a fairly ample clump free from the packet. Use the dubbing to make a rather robust noodle on your tying thread. Start taking wraps with the noodle so the dubbing begins at the rear tie-down point of the wire and the yarn. Be sure to get a full wrap of dubbing around the shank. This will allow you to get hold of the noodle and twist it clockwise, as if you’re looking down on it, into a thin, fuzzy little rope. Keep a firm grip on the corded-up noodle as you begin taking touching forward wraps with it. The idea is to build up a nice, tight somewhat segmented abdomen on the fly, that ends at the initial tie-in point.

With this done, pull the Antron yarn forward, over top of the body, then take 2 or 3 tight wraps of tying thread to anchor it. Pull the material up and take a couple of thread wraps around just the hook shank, followed by a couple more over top of the material. This helps stop the slippery Antron from pulling free. I use plunger-style hackle pliers to grip the excess Antron then snip it off close as this allows me to keep track of it for later use.

Now get hold of the wire and begin making open spiral wraps with it over top of the abdomen, to both segment the body of the fly and increase the it’s durability. 5 or 6 turns usually looks pretty good. When you reach your tying thread, use it to firmly anchor the wire then helicopter to break it off close.

Using a dubbing brush or here, a fancy popsicle stick with hooked Velcro at one end, rough out the dubbing on both sides of the fly. You don’t have to go nuts here, just make it look a little fuzzy, about like so.

Now, pick up that extra bit of Antron you snipped off, find its approximate midpoint and lay that midpoint on top of the hook shank. Take a couple of thread wraps to secure it then fold the forward-pointing portion back and bind it down to double the amount of material for the wing case.

Pheasant tail-colored Ice Dub is used for the thorax of the fly. Pull only a small amount free from the packet, then use it to produce a slender inch-and-a-half long noodle on your tying thread. Take wraps with the noodle to create an abbreviated little thorax on the fly. Then, pull the wing case over top of it and anchor it with thread wraps behind the hook eye using the same tie-down sequence as before—2 or 3 wraps over top of the material, 2 around just the hook shank, then 2 more over top of the material. With the yarn locked down well, pull up on the excess and snip it off nice and close. The fly should now look something like this.

Just about any soft hackle feather can be used on this pattern but I really prefer a nice burnt orange color one, like this Brahma Hen from Whiting Farms. This particular offering also comes with a Chickabou pelt, in addition to the soft webby hen feathers. Pluck a single, well-marked feather free from the skin. Strip off most of the lower, longer fibers from both sides of the stem. You want the lowest fibers to be about a full hook in length. With the shiny or front side of the feather facing you, get hold of the its very tip and gently preen down its lower fibers and hold them down. I like to brace my tying scissors against the back edge of the hook eye which allows me to accurately cut the feather’s tip into a small triangular-shaped tie-in anchor.

Bind the anchor to the top of the hook shank with tight wraps of tying thread, ending with your thread at the back edge of the hook eye. Get hold of the feather’s stem and bend it down through your fingertips to fold the fibers rearward. Start taking wraps with the feather to create a fairly sparse collar on the fly. Then anchor the stem with tight wraps of tying thread and snip the excess off nice and close.

Preen all the fibers down and begin taking thread wraps to pin them back and down, kind of beard-style. To me, this really sells the pattern as a pupa. Pick up your whip finish tool and use it to do a 4 or 5 turn, back to front whip finish, seat the knot well and snip or cut your tying thread free.

Finally pick up your head cement and apply an ample drop or two to both the fly’s wing case and the thread wraps at the head of the fly. UV cure resin would also look good. Once the head cement sinks in and dries, the finished fly should look something like this.

I prefer to fish these swung down and across, off of a light sink tip line or a weighted poly leader—fall trout really seem to like them presented like this.