Tying Instructions: Cosmic Caddis

1. Slip on a countersunk tungsten bead to the hook. Black is preferred. Attach the hook to the vise.
Step One
2. Start the thread behind the bead and make smooth wraps back to the hook bend.
Step Two
3. Select a Tapered Synthetic Quill. These are quite tapered and you can get a couple of flies from each piece. The one I am using is the second section which starts a little wide but it will work okay.
Step Three
4. Attach the quill to the top of the hook shank and secure with smooth even thread wraps down to the bend of the hook. Build a slight taper with the thread up to the bead stopping about 1 eye length behind the bead. Wrap the quill forward with even segmented wraps and secure with three tight thread wraps behind the bead.
Step Four
5. Trim off the tag end of the quill and coat the body with a thin UV Fly Finish.
Step Five
6. Smooth out the finish with a bodkin. Step Six
7. Cure the finish with a UV light.
Step Seven
8. Prepare the hackle for a dubbing loop. I'm using a Stonfo dubbing block, placing some strands of Silver Holo Ice dubbing onto the block at the second notch.
Step Eight
9. Selecting a CDC feather, remove the fluff from the base of the feather and preen the fibers so they stand out perpendicular to the CDC Quill.
Step Nine
10. Place the CDC Feather into the notch trapping the ice dubbing as well.
Step Ten
11. A clip is used to hold the fibers together and remove the hackle from the block.
Step Eleven
12. With scissors, trim off the main stem of the quill, leaving just the fibers and dubbing strands.
Step Twelve
13. Create a dubbing loop behind the bead.
Step Thirteen
14. Bring the clip to the dubbing loop, closing the loop with downward pressure on the dubbing spinner tool.
Step Fourteen
15. Spin the dubbing spinner tool to create a chenille of the CDC and Ice Dubbing.
Step Fifteen
16. Prior to wrapping the chenille around the hook, replace the spinner tool with a hackle plier.
Step Sixteen
17. Place about two wraps of the dubbed chenille behind the bead. This pattern works better with a small amount of material flowing from the bead.
Step Seventeen
18. Secure the chenille with a couple of tight thread wraps and clip off the excess chenille tag.
Step Eighteen
19 . Whip finish behind the bead but do not clip off the thread.
Step Nineteen
20. Apply some Superfine dubbing to the thread.
Step Twenty
21. Wrap a small collar of Superfine dubbing behind the bead.
Step Twenty one
22. Apply a second Whip Finish.
Step Twenty two
23. The Finished Cosmic Caddis
Step Twenty three

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