This month we'll give you some background on the Grannom and a pattern.
The larva of the Grannom build a case around themselves made up of the stream bottom debris. The fly featured this month imitates the larval stage. In fly fishing terms, it's known as a Peeking Caddis. The pattern appears to the fish as a caddis larva extended from its case. It should be fished as the point (bottom) fly on a two or three nymph rig.
The American Grannom Caddis Larva
Hook:
standard nymph, Mustad 9671 or equivalent (Daiichi 1710)
Thread:
Black 8/0 Unithread
Bead:
Black Tungsten 5/32 or 1/8
Lead:
.015 diameter non-lead wire
Legs:
Black Ostrich Herl
Silk:
6/0 White Tying Thread
Peeking Larva:
Fluorescent Chartreuse Ultra Chenille
Larval Case:
Tan Ultra Chenille for light stream bottom; dark olive Ultra Chenille for dark stream bottom covered with silver scale E-Z Shape Sparkle Body
Steps:
PInch down the barb and slide the bead onto the hook. Attach the lead behind the bead and wrap around the shank to a point just above the point of the hook.
2. Attach the thread at this point and wind forward and back over the lead wraps to bind them down. Wrap the thread back to the bend of the
hood and tie in the ostrich herl. Make 4 turns of the herl making sure to keep each turn tight against the previous turn. The flues should lean
toward the rear of the hook. Tie in with 2 wraps of thread. Tie in a 4-inch length of white tying thread. Make sure it is aligned with the top center
of the hook shank and extends through the herl out the back of the hook for 2-3 inches. Trim the white thread after binding it tight to the shank.
3. Take a length of about 3 inches of fluorescent chartreuse Ultra Chenille and burnish one end with a flame from a lighter. Take a black perm-
anent marker and color the tip black. This represents the head of the larva. Tie in the chenille on top of the shank directly behind the ostrich
herl. Leave the burnished end extended back past the bend of the hook approximately 6mm. Bind down the chenille on top of the shank and tie
off at the bead. Clip the remainder.
4. Tie in tan Ultra Chenille behind the bead and bind it down on topof the shank. (You may also use a single strand of tan Aunt Lydia's yarn)
When the thread wraps meet the tie-in point of the chartreuse Chenille, wrap the thread forward to the bead. Wrap the tan Chenille forward in
tight turns to the bead and tie off. Clip the remainder close to the bead and tie off. Whip finish and the thread and cut it off.
5. Apply a coat of sparkle body, completely covering yarn. Be careful not to touch the ostrich her. This covering need not be neat and uniform.
You are trying to make it look like a case made up of the stone and sand of the stream bottom.
Wrap the thread to the rear of the hook and stop above barb. Tie in the sparkle yarn shuck. The shuck should not be too thick. Use only about 10 or 12 strands of yarn.
Tie in a goose or turkey biot (turkey is shown), color to match your local sulphur abdomen color. Keep the notch on the biot down. Wrap the biot forward to 2 or 3 wraps behind the wing and tie it off. Coat the biot with HardAsHull Head Cement. (Ed.: Yes, we have it here.)
Select a dry fly hackle in ginger and tie in behind the wing. Advance thread to 3 wraps in front of wing. Wrap 2 turns of hackle behind the wing and 2 turns in front of the wing and tie off. Clip the bottom of the hackle ina V shape so the fly will float flush on the surface of the water.
Carefully dub the thorax and front of the wing with the color to match the local sulphur mayfly. Often this color is darker than the rest of the body.
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