Henryville Special

Fly: Henk Verhaar, Photograph: Hans Weilenmann

Hook: Standard or long dry fly hook
Thread: UNI, size 8/0
Body: Tan dubbing
Body hackle: Cock hackle, quality not important, colour to match body, approximately hook gape size
Antennae: Two moose body hairs
Wing: Two narrow slips of a mottled feather, such as a peacock primary wing feather, or turkey tail feather
Hackle: High grade cock hackle, standard dry fly length, color to match wing


Or Hemingway caddis, or tent-wing caddis. I've heard this type of caddis pattern being called all of these names. I'm not sure which one (if any) or maybe even all of them is (are) correct. I first saw it tied by Dutch master Kees Pootjes, and was amazed at the non-standard way of tying in feather slip wings.

Tying instructions:

The abdomen is formed in a pretty standard way, with the body hackle attached by the tip at the hook bend, to be wrapped in open turns forward over the dubbed body, or alternatively attached by the butt in front of the dubbed body, to be wrapped backwards, if an optional rib is used to secure the body hackle (as in the wonderwing caddis). The body is formed al the way up to the thorax area, which will be formed by the hackle, and the wing butts as basis. Next the antennae are tied in, tips pointing forward. Most caddises have long antennae... Prepare the hackle (strip or clip the webby fibers), and attach the hackle, by the butt, tip pointing forward. Prepare the wing by taking the two feather slips, butts on top of each other, in a 10-20 degree angle, so that the slips almost separate at the point where the wing will be cut to length. Hold the wings by the butts and lay on top of the hook. Make two-three loops over the wing butts at the tie-in point (nearest the abdomen), so that the feather slips actually wrap 'around' the hook, instead of lying on top of the shank. Clip off the excess and cover the butts with tying thread. Wrap the hackle backwards (6-8 turns) and bring the thread forward through the hackle turns. Whip finish between the hackle and hook eye (3 wraps).

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© 1999 Hans Weilenmann
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