Fly Tying: Viddapuppan

Fly Tying:

Viddapuppan

Late summer brings a distinctive allure to fly fishing, especially when targeting trout with dry flies and emergers. As the season progresses, trout become increasingly attuned to the emerging insects, but by the end of the season they can be picky and weary! In this setting, the choice of imitations becomes paramount, with attention to visibility and effectiveness crucial for a successful and rewarding fly fishing experience.

By THOMAS ROOS

I frequently fish with hatching caddis pupas in the later part of the summer. However, most of the imitations I use are poorly visible on the surface. Consequently, I aimed to design a pattern with improved visibility without compromising its effectiveness.

For the Viddapuppan pattern, I employ 2mm foam cut into 3.5mm strips, Dave Whitlock SLF dubbing, and deer hair, all carefully crafted on a curved or short shank hook. This combination ensures not only adequate visibility but also enhances the fly’s fishing performance.

Place a needle or a detached body pin in your vise, then wrap the foam with a few firm turns of thread.

Dub the thread with SLF dubbing and dub the whole length of the needle.

Whip-finish when the dubbing has been wrapped and remove the needle from the vise.

Secure the hook in the vise and wrap the thread a short distance down the hook bend.

Attach the foam where you made the finish with several tight turns.

Cut off the remaining excess piece of foam and fold the back-end foam forward and tie it in.

Move forward towards the hook eye and then back.

Cut a small bunch of deer hair and stack it. Remove the hair from the stacker and press the tips firmly against your other palm to align them.

Comb the tips and place them in a material clip.

Use the clip to determine the length of the hackle, then cut it off. Split the thread and spin the hair.

Wind the hackle forward while brushing the fibers backward.

Complete a series of whip-finishes.

Cut of the excess foam at the very front of the fly.

Lightly burn the foam end with a lighter, paint it with a waterproof pen

Finally, trim the hackle on the top and underside.