"The Balloon Caddis"

"The Ballon Caddis"

Materials Used:

Size 14 Partridge CS 20 Mike Weaver Arrow Point Barbless Dry Fly Straight Eye
Olive 8/0 Thread
Davy's Bug Dub
Yellow Foam

Step by Step:

This pattern was designed by Roman Moser. Very productive pattern for fast water and riffles. If you ever had a chance to watch Caddis as they float downstream they shiver or skip across the surface film. Try to imitate this motion by jiggling the tip of the fly rod while holding the rod at sholders height off the water. High sticking the fly rod keeping as much line off the water as possible and gently shaking the tip of the rod will cause this fly to skip on the waters surface.


Step 1: Cut a piece of yellow foam. Closed-cell foam - Polycelon foam will work. You can find it at most fly shops or craft store.


Step 2: Place Size 14 Partridge CS 20 Mike Weaver Arrow Point Barbless Dry Fly Straight Eye in vise. You can use any dry fly hook to match the caddis size although I have found the straight eye works best to provide the skipping presentation.




Step 3: Tie in the piece of foam extending it out over the eye and run the thread back to the bend.





Step 4: Twist Davy's Bug Dub onto thread and wrap dubbing to form the body, about half way up the shank.




Step 5: Using a patch of Elk Hair cut a bunch of hair place in stacker to even the tips as shown. For this pattern you only need a sparse amount of Elk Hair.


Step 6: Stack the hair and attach the elk wing so that it extends past the bend. So let's discuss body-to-wing length ratios of the Caddis Fly. An artificial's silhouette is important to the success of any fly. On Caddis patterns I prefer not to extend the wing too far beyond the bend of the hook. Generally a good rule of thumb is that no part of a caddis should extend beyond the bend of the hook more than twice the hookgap distance.




Step 7: After cutting excess elk hair wrap tread to even the thorax, add dubbing to thread and build the thorax. Notice the final thread position is at the back end of thorax.




Step 8: Fold foam back over thorax, tie off and whip finish.


Step 9: Clip excess foam. The back tag of the foam can be clipped right at the thread to shorten the foam tag.






Finished Balloon Caddis

"The Flasha Bunnybou" Tube Fly

"Flasha Bunnybou"

Head is Bleached Elk Hair


Head is White Deer Body Strip






Head is Natural Deer Body Hair

Materials Used:

1.5 inch HMH low profile tube
Gudebrod GX2 Thread
White Zonker Strip
Ginger Marabou Feather
Light Brown Marabou Feather
Orange Rump Hackle
Olive/Chartruese Rump Hackle
Angle Hair Flash
Natural Deer Body Hair

Any substitute of colors can be used to match your personal preferences.

Step by Step:

This pattern has terrific movement in the water. It has been an excellant Steelhead Fly on the Great Lake Tributaries. Awesome Bass Pattern also.



Step 1: Use a 1.5" HMH Tube. Wrap thread base.


Step 2: Tie in a white bunny strip near the back of Tube.


Step 3: Fold white bunny strip back and wrap over the end of the fold preparing it to be wraped around the tube.


Step 4: Wrap white bunny strip just past the half way mark of the tube and tie it in.


Step 5: Tie in Ginger Marabou Feather


Step 6: Make 3-4 wraps of Ginger Marabou Feather and tie in.


Step 7: Tie in a Light Brown Marabou Feather make 3-4 wraps and tie in. Similar to Step 4 and Step 5.


Step 8: Tie in Orange Rump Hackle Feather.


Step 9: Fold Barbs and make 3-4 wraps in front of the Marabou.


Step 10: Tie in a Olive/Chartruese Rump Hackle Feather make 3-4 wraps and tie in. Similar to Step 8 and Step 9.


Step 10: Tie in a small amount of Angle Hair to add Flash in the water.


Step 11: Tie in a pinky thickness size patch of deer body hair. Make sure the tips are even and place the tips facing the back of the tube fly. This will provide a collar on the tube fly.


Step 12: Add additional deer body hair evenly around the tube to form the head. At the front of the tube make your final addition of deer hair and tie off the thread. Now all you need to do is form the head. A sharp pair of All Purpose Dr Slick Scissors or Razor Blade will aid in forming the head.

Finished Flasha Bunnybou Tube Fly

Head is Natural Deer Body Hair

Brain Slavinski's Atlantic Salmon Patterns

For additional information regarding Brain Slavinski visit the following Website Link:
Cattaraugus on the Fly

Brian Slavinski's Tube Patterns

About Brian Slavinski: Brian has been guiding the Western New York Region for over twenty years. His fly fishing experiences have led to a vast knowledge of how to fish for trout and salmon using traditional fly fishing techniques. He believes strongly in the quality of the fly fishing experience and knows well all the opportunities that exist for great fly fishing in Western New York. His angling specialty is using a variety of techniques from the most traditional presentations to his regional innovations.







For additional information regarding Brain Slavinski visit the following Website Link:
Cattaraugus on the Fly

"The Sparkling Hairball" Egg Fly Pattern

"Sparkling Hairball"

Materials Used:

TMC 2457 Size 10 or equivalent hook
Orange STS Trilobal or Ice Dub Dubbing
Orange Glo Bug Yarn
Red 8/0 or 6/0 Thread
Turbo Twister for spinning dubbing

Any substitute of colors can be used to match your personal preferences.

Step by Step:

This pattern uses a small amount of Globug Yarn and looks like a jellied egg when wet. Great for using up the scraps that are left over from tying other egg patterns. The original pattern which had only Glo Bug Yarn spun in was designed by Jim Guida. It has been an excellant Steelhead Fly on the Great Lake Tributaries. Productive kids pan fish pattern, make sure you press the barb down easier to unhook the fish.

Step 1: Use a Tiemco 2457 size 10 or similar hook. Wrap thread base.


Step 2: Make Turbo Twister dubbing loop and add Glo Bug Yarn.


Step 3: Add Orange Ice Dub and another piece of Glo Bug Yarn. Spin Turbo Twister to lock in dubbing and Glo bug Yarn. There is no need to overspin the turbo twister, just enough to hold in the Glo Bug Yarn.


Step 4: Wrap from back of fly to the eye of the hook and tie off dubbing loop. Notice the Ice Dub is in middle of body.


Step 5: Use Velcro brush to even out dubbing and disperse Ice Dubbing throughout fly. There you have it a quick and easy Sparkling Hairball.

"The Purple Durple" Tube Fly

"Purple Durple"

Materials Used:

Small and large diameter HMH plastic tubes
Medium HMH Brass Cone Head
Purple Thread
Gold Oval Lagartun Medium Tinsel
Purple STS Trilobal Dubbing
Shrimp Holo Fusion
Gold Lagartun Oval Small Tinsel
Purple Hackle
Pink Floss
Purple Schlappen
Purple Fox Fur
Turbo Twister

Step by Step:

Step 1: Insert small HMH Plastic Tube into larger HMH Plastic Tube until it is set in place.


Step 2: Cut tubes to size.


Step 3: Place HMH cone on smaller tube, slide tube on tube fly vice and wrap the thread.


Step 4: Tie in Gold Oval Lagartun Medium Tinsel.


Step 5: Make 5-6 wraps and tie in Tinsel.


Step 6: Dub in Purple STS Trilobal Dubbing.


Step 7: Wrap dubbing and tie off.


Step 8: Tie in Shrimp Holo Fusion.


Step 9: Tie in Gold Lagartun Oval Small Tinsel counter rib.


Step 10: Tie purple hackle in front of tail and pink floss at head of tube.


Step 11: Wrap floss to back of tube fly and back to front of tube.


Step 12: Tie off floss.


Step 13: Palmer purple hackle to front of tube and tie off.


Step 14: Wrap counter rib in opposite direction of hackle and tie off.


Step 15: Tie in Purple Schlappen.


Step 16: Fold Schlappen and make 4 wraps one in front of the previous wrap.



Step 17: Collar tube and tie off Schlappen.


Step 18: Tie in purple fox fur.


Step 19: Make a dubbing loop, add in Purple STS Trilobal,and spin the Turbo Twister.


Step 20: Place for or five wraps of dubbing and whip finish the tube.


Step 21: Slide cone toward dubbing pull tube fly off vice, cut to size and melt the end of small plastic tube to finish fly.


Finished Purple Durple.