JELLY CADDIS ~ WILDFLIES | NATURAL TROUT FLIES | FLYFISHING | NEW ZEALAND

JELLY CADDIS

Tongariro rainbow with a pink Jelly Caddis, just after it was hooked and lost on a Brassie
The Jelly Caddis was originally tied for Great Lakes Steelhead by Nick Pujic, of the United States, using a product called Jelly Rope. Not able to obtain this material in New Zealand, I began tying the pattern with Stretch Cord, with fantastic results. Pink and chartreuse Stretch Cord Jelly Caddis are deadly on spawning-run rainbow trout. They are so effective I have not used a Globug on the Tongariro River, or anywhere else for that matter, in years. The reason they work so well is light coloured Stretch Cord - such as pink, light green and yellow - has fibre optic properties causing flies to glow under the water. Although darker colours, such as purple and brown, lack the fibre optic properties, they produce naturally translucent Jelly Caddis that work when fish are in a less aggressive mood. Jelly Caddis Recipe: ORIGINATOR: Nick Pujic HOOK: Heavy wire grub hook size 14-10 THREAD: Fl. Pink UTC 210 and Black UTC 140 ABDOMEN: Pink 0.5 to 0.7 mm Stretch Cord THORAX: Black Arizona Synthetic Peacock dubbing or black squirrel dubbing
		Step 1 Tie in the single strand of pink Stretch Cord about 3mm behind the hook eye. Now spin the thread anti-clockwise to reduce the diameter, and then secure the Stretch Cord atop the shank with open thread turns. Make three tight thread turns at the bend and then return the thread to the eye in open turns, exposing as much of the hook shank as possible. Tie off the pink thread and attach the black.

		Step 2 Next wrap the Stretch Cord forward and around the hook shank in closed turns. Allow sufficient space for the thorax when you tie it off.

		Step 3 Twist the dubbing onto the thread.

		Step 4 Create a substantial thorax, half hitch and tie off.

		The chartreuse Jelly Caddis is tied with chartreuse and black thread and yellow or light green Stretch Cord.

		Purple and brown Jelly Caddis are tied using black UTC 140 thread. Even though these colours lack fibre optic properties they are naturally translucent. The exposed segments of the hook shank provide some subtle sparkle.