How to Tie the RD Caddis Larva

This week’s fly-tying video come from Swedish tier Jon Hson, who describes himself as a “middle-aged trout lover with low standards and high cholesterol.” This imitation of a caddis larva or pupa looks super buggy and natural (the RD stands for “real deal”), and Hson claims that it works especially well in pressured trout waters, where the fish have seen a lot of flies. The finished fly looks complicated, but it’s actually easy to tie. The clear body allows the colors beneath to come through, and the CDC should trap air bubbles, like a real caddis pupa does.

RD Caddis Larva
Hook: Curved dry-fly hook (here a Ahrex FW511), sizes 8-16.
Thread: Olive, 8/0
Body: Clear V-Rib, Nymph size.
Abdomen back: Turkey biot strip.
Underbody: Tying thread, colored with brown marker.
Wing : Natural CDC.
Wing case: Brown Scud Back, 3mm.
Thorax: Pheasant Tail Nature’s Spirit Snowshoe Rabbit Dubbing.
Legs: Brown hen saddle hackle.
Head: Pheasant Tail Nature’s Spirit Snowshoe Rabbit Dubbing.
Tools: Dubbing brush.