Tying an Extended Body Light Cahill

Producer: Tim Flagler

Matt Grobert demonstrates how to tie an Extended Body Light Cahill on a Dai-Riki #305 size 12 dry-fly hook.  Probably the most interesting part of this pattern is the tail/abdomen, which Grobert creates from a single wood-duck flank feather.

As Matt says: “Back in the 70s, Harry Darbee came out with his Two-Feathered mayfly pattern, and ever since then I have experimented using the technique to create my own semi-realistic patterns. The use of the arching wood duck flank feather to imitate the tail and abdomen always looked so right to me for imitating mayfly adults.

You may have seen my March Brown dry I tie this way that is a combination of tradition Catskill dry and this tailing technique. This pattern combines the tailing technique with one of my favorite materials, Snowshoe Rabbit Foot. It is incredibly durable, fairly easy to tie, and works very well. You can adapt the pattern by changing size and body color to imitate green drakes, brown drakes and other large mayfly patterns.”