Caterpillars

[5xtippett]

Size 10 Daiichi curved hook. I tied a couple on size 8. Basically what I did was modify Kevin Howell's recipe per instructions from a Virginia Tech bug biologist. The first thing I did was call the biologist over the Smith in Va. to make sure he had found them in the stomach contents of the browns. I wasn't going to tie a bunch and find out the fish weren't going to eat them. Then I called my bug buddy.

[MadisonBoats]

One of the easiest caterpillar flies is just tying a piece of marabou at the hook bend and a piece of wire. Wrap the marabou around your thread a few times and slowly starting wrapping it forward and tie off behind the eye. Then; use the wire and counter-wrap to secure the marabou. Use a dubbing brush to tease out the marabou and to give it a body. Then; trim the wild parts with your scissors.

Some people leave a little bit of a marabou tail (similar to a wooly bugger) for a trigger; but, shorter and tied on the down-side of the hook bend to accentuate the shape of the caterpillar. You can add hackle to the wrap and trim the sides and top flush with the body to create legs.

Basically; just tie a wooly worm

Hope this helps.

I think this is an old high sticking recipe or jigging recipe.

[5xtippett]

Shawn, I was looking for a tent caterpillar pattern. They are pretty widespread in the Southeast. I saw Kevin Howell's on the internet and started my research. I am big on terrestials, so it was what I was looking for. I have a pattern that sinks that I am remarkably fond of, but I wanted a floater and I think this new one will be a winner. The fact that it is easy to tie doesn't hurt either. The biologist said he has found them in the stomach contents and my bug studying buddy approved it. I sent pictures to Flyman and Olesmoke and neither one of them laughed or anything. I think most people on here know just how good Flyman can tie, but Olesmoke didn't just fall off the turnip truck either. Both of those boys fishing abilities approach that of a Japanese trawler. To make a long story short, I think I am going to be in business, but I have over tied during the winter before on something that didn't work as good as I has hoped! Time will tell! I hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving.

[olesmoke]

5x here is you one of the size 8 black peacock herl bodies trimmed to ride low in the water.Only time will make it a ball of hair or "bait"

[5xtippett]

Peewee, I like that black Peacock. Save me some of that. What color hackle is that? I dyed some white hackle yellow. I have tied some with the white and it looks allright, too. The only problem is we'll have to wait till April or May to find out whether we are in business or not.

[MadisonBoats]

Originally Posted by 5xtippett

Shawn, I was looking for a tent caterpillar pattern. ......

Sorry, I did not catch that detail in your post. I must have speed read it.

I have seen some excellent deer hair patterns wrapped with hackle that float very well. Plus, you can color the trimmed hair to suit your bug.

[kytroutman]

Sorry for the delay. The pattern is a braided worm using black and flo. green microchenille. I vary mine from the one you will find on the internet though.

[Ky Tim]

Originally Posted by MadisonBoats

One of the easiest caterpillar flies is just tying a piece of marabou at the hook bend and a piece of wire. Wrap the marabou around your thread a few times and slowly starting wrapping it forward and tie off behind the eye. Then; use the wire and counter-wrap to secure the marabou. Use a dubbing brush to tease out the marabou and to give it a body. Then; trim the wild parts with your scissors.

Some people leave a little bit of a marabou tail (similar to a wooly bugger) for a trigger; but, shorter and tied on the down-side of the hook bend to accentuate the shape of the caterpillar. You can add hackle to the wrap and trim the sides and top flush with the body to create legs.

Basically; just tie a wooly worm

Hope this helps.

I think this is an old high sticking recipe or jigging recipe.

Shawn, do you have a pic of one of these that you can post? I am trying to get a visual of how this fly looks.

[MadisonBoats]

Originally Posted by Ky Tim

Shawn, do you have a pic of one of these that you can post? I am trying to get a visual of how this fly looks.

Tim,
No, unfortunately I do not. I will have to tie one and post the pic. All I did was tie in deer fur with hackle and small wire. Keep tying deer fur up to the back of the eye-leave some working space. Take a razor and trim to create the body. Then; take a permanent maker and lately brush along the deer hair with your color of choice. I used neon green-however, it did rub off on my fingers. Then, wrap hackle forward and wire to secure. It floats pretty good.

[Kytroutbum]

Check out "Tying Terrestrials for super fishing" by C. Boyd Pfeiffer. One of the best tying books I've seen on terrestrials. He has several different pages of Inchworms and Caterpillars both floating and sinking. If you wanted to "Match a specific Catepillar Hatch" try Furling required amounts of Antron for a body and then palmer a hackle through it.