Fox’s Poopah

Olive Poopah

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Tying Instructions

1. Secure the hook in the vise. Make sure that the point of the hook protrudes from the vise. Attach the thread to the shank behind the eye about 2 eyelengths back.

2. Attach a wire ribbing to the bottom of the hook shank starting where you attached the thread.

3. Secure the wire ribbing to the bend of the hook above the barb. This is known as the “Tail tie-in position”. It is the position where the shank ends and the bend of the hook begins. If you hang your bobbin thread, the thread should be in the midpoint of the barb.

4.At this location, attach Pearlescent Tinsel securing the tinsel along the side of the shank about a third of the way up the hook shank.

5. Wrap the thread back up the shank about one third shank length behind the eye. This is the position which you will secure the tinsel, vernille, and ribbing.

6. Wrap the tinsel forward with overlapping wraps and secure with thread wraps. Try to keep all of the wraps smooth and evenly-spaced.

7.Cut a piece of vernille about 1 1/2 the hook length. Singe the tip of the vernille with some flame or heat to create a tapered point.

8. Attach the piece with thread wraps in the same location that you secured the mylar. The tip of the vernille extends just beyond the bend.

9. Wrap the gold wire ribbing forward with 4-5 wraps and secure where the vernille was secured with thread wraps. When wrapping the ribbing, keep the tension uniform and do not allow the vernille to slip to the side.

10. Attach two fibers of woodduck for antennae. First locate the length of fibers you want from the feather. They will get smaller as you go towards the tip. Snip the tip of the feather off above where these fibers are located and fold the lower fibers back until the last two fibers are isolated. This will allow you to secure the stem of the feather to the top of the shank just behind the eye. Bring thread wraps back over the two fibers so that the thread secures the fibers themselves to the top of the shank. Trim off the rest of the feather and secure the tag end with thread wraps.

11. Place a partridge feather, with the center cut out, under the shank behind the eye. Adjust the fibers, which represent legs, so that they just extend to the hook point.

12. Secure with thread wraps and trim off the tag end.

13. Attach 2 strands of Ostrich Herl, securing the strands as close to the vernille body as possible. Remove the fibers from the butt ends of the Ostrich herls to secure the material cleanly to the shank.

14. Wrap the Ostrich Herl forward about 2-3 turns and secure with thread wraps. Leave enough room to wrap a thread head. Trim off the tag of the Ostrich herl and secure with some thread wraps. Whip Finish.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	TMC 2302 #12-16
Thread	Uni-Thread Olive 8/0
Head	Uni-Thread Olive 8/0
Underbody	Pearlescent Tinsel
Body	Olive Vernille
Thorax	Black Ostrich
Antennae	Mallard Flank dyed Woodduck
Legs	Olive dyed Partridge Hackle
Ribbing	Gold Wire, Brassie

Tim Fox

Fox’s Poopah

Fox’s Poopah designed by Tim Fox in 1990 for use on the lower Sacramento. Tim spent many years as the manager of The Fly Shop in Redding, CA. and now guides as an independent on the Trinity and the Sac. The Poopah has received widespread recognition as an excellent caddis pupa pattern and is used extensively throughout Sierra Nevada streams.

Vernille Body

Tim utilized vernille for a tapered body and a pearl tinsel for the underbody to imitate a gas bubble. The most popular colors are Tan and Olive in a size 14. Vernille is marketed under a number of different names such as Ultra Chenille and Micro Chenille. A bead is often added to give the pattern some ability to go deep into the water column. As a pupa, however, the natural will rise up through the column and this is where the trout focus on this pattern.

Hook Selection

Initially, Poopahs were tied on a TMC 2302, a 2XL hook with a light bend but Tim felt that the wire was a little weak and switched to a 2X heavy wire of a similar shape in the Daiichi 1760. The micro sizes are more often tied with a TMC 3769 which is a 2X heavy nymph hook. Select the color and size of Poopah from what is happening within the stream or creek. BH Olive Poopahs are a good choice for the Spotted Sedge caddis.

Great Euro Nymph

High sticking or Euro Nymphing techniques work well with this pattern. Try the Micro sizes for smaller caddis pupa during the later half of the Summer. Springtime Poopah is a good choice for the Grannom or Brachycentrus caddis and a Tan Poopah does a good job for Saddle Case Caddis (Glossosoma). The fly is best fished as a dead drift with 4-6 feet of tippet using a stack cast method and feeding line. Guides also recommend using a micro mayfly pattern behind it. In October, the October Caddis Poopah is fished differently than the other caddis as this large nymph crawls to the riverbank to hatch rather than rise through the water column. It should be heavily weighted and fished on the bottom.

BH October Caddis Poopah

Hook	TMC 2302 #10
Thread	Uni-Thread Black 8/0
Head	Copper Bead
Underbody	Pearlescent Tinsel
Body	Orange Vernille
Thorax	Black Ostrich
Antennae	Mallard Flank dyed Woodduck
Legs	Natural Partridge Hackle
Ribbing	Gold Wire, Brassie

Tan Micro Poopah

Hook	TMC 3769, #18
Thread	Veevus Tan 14/0
Head	Uni-Thread Olive 8/0
Underbody	Pearlescent Tinsel
Body	Tan Micro Vernille
Thorax	Black Ostrich
Antennae	Mallard Flank dyed Woodduck
Legs	Natural Partridge Hackle
Ribbing	Gold Wire, Small

Springtime Poopah

Hook	TMC 3769, #14-16
Thread	Veevus Tan 14/0
Head	Uni-Thread Olive 8/0
Underbody	Pearlescent Tinsel
Body	Yellow Vernille , marked Olive and Black
Thorax	Black Ostrich and Peacock Herl
Antennae	Mallard Flank dyed Woodduck
Legs	Olive dyed Partridge Hackle
Ribbing	Gold Wire, Brassie