1. Lay a thread foundation from behind the eye to the bend of the hook.
2. Attach 3-5 woodduck fibers. The length of the tailing fibers should be about a shank length
3. Next, attach a small amount of Antron dubbing over the tailing fibers. The dubbing should extend about halfway along the tail.
4. Secure two CDC feathers by the tip to the tail tie-in position. The feathers should be with the concave facing upwards.
5. Attach the Antron dubbing to the thread. This will be a full body, so do not twist it on tight.
6. Wrap the dubbing forward until you get about one eye length behind the eye. Establish a gradual taper to the body.
7. Bring the two feathers over the dubbed body and secure with a couple of thread wraps. Place your scissors into the loop and adjust the loops size by pulling on the tag ends of the feathers. Use the smooth outside edge of the scissors to help indent the CDC quill just above the tail for an oblong loop.
8. Secure the CDC feathers with some tight wraps of thread and trim off the butts.
9. Attach Partridge fibers as a hackle collar around the body. Using two clumps of 10-15 fibers, placed on each side of the hook shank, will do the job. The thread tension will help spread the fibers evenly around the shank and you can control the length of the fibers by premeasuring so that they do not extend beyond the bend of the hook.
10. Secure with thread wraps and trim off the butts.
11. Next, apply Antron dubbing to the thread for a dubbed Thorax
Rene Harrop came up with this pattern as he developed a number of patterns signifying the metamorphic transitions of the caddis from larvae to adult. The CDC Bubbleback Caddis portrays the transition from the pupa stage to an adult where the thoracic area begins to push out from the pupa skin. This process only happens for a few seconds but it is something that the trout will recognize and key into.
The Bubbleback
A loop of CDC over the back of the body forms a bubble effect that supports the fly in the correct position in the surface film while duplicating this tempting image. The pattern should be used as a wet fly using an uplifting swing. Bubbles will get trapped within the CDC fibers and provide an enhanced translucency to the pattern as an ascending adult. Adjust the color variations to the hatch. Black caddis will often hatch within stillwater areas near the shoreline of a creek inlet.