Tan Cicada Foam

The Tan Cicada Foam has proved very effective, especially as a second fly behind a salmon fly. In fact, last year I used this fly behind a large salmon fly pattern and caught more fish on it than on the larger fly. And it makes sense: over the years, I've found that caddis patterns sometimes outfish salmon fly patterns because the hatches occur at roughly the same time. Now I can fish both together.

This fly also works well fished alone. The legs add action, and a slight twitch will add more. The profile of this fly—while closest to a caddis—also seems to work for a small hopper pattern, making it effective throughout the summer and into early fall.

Materials
Hook: Dai-Riki 320, size 8 or 12
Body: Ice Dub (tan)
Thread: Black 6/0
Wing: White calf tail over pearl Krystal Flash over 2mm tan foam
Legs: Grizzly barred rubber legs (orange) and brown Super Floss

Instructions
1. Dub the body with tan Ice Dub.
2. Cut a strip of tan foam approximately 5mm wide. Make a hole and slip the foam over the eye of the hook. Anchor the foam with thread. Do not fold the foam back over the eye until the calf tail and Krystal Flash have been tied in.
3. Tie in the Krystal Flash with calf tail.
4. Take the tag end of the foam to the eye. Put a hole into the foam for the eye. Now pull the foam over the eye and tie it down with the legs on each side.
5. Trim the foam to create a tapered wing and cut the tag end over the wing.

John Bailey, former owner of Dan Bailey's Fly Shop in Livingston, and has been on the water for the last six decades.