Benchside Sessions
Benchside Sessions is our fly tying series highlighting the patterns that we — as guides and shop staff — actually rely on day in and day out on the water. Every fly featured in this series is tied by someone on our team, chosen because it flat-out works. No fluff, no filler — just the flies we trust when it matters.
Materials
| Hook | MFC Heavy Wire Scud — #16 |
| Bead | Hareline Plummeting Tungsten — 3/32" (2.3mm), Mottled Brown |
| Lead Wire | Lead Wire — .010 |
| Thread | Veevus 10/0 — Black |
| Body | Uni-Yarn — Olive |
| Rib | UTC Ultra Wire — Small, Olive |
| Dubbing | Hareline Rabbit Dubbing — Chocolate Brown |
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Once the bead is on the hook and secured in the vise, add 5–6 wraps of lead wire and slide snugly under the bead.
- Attach the thread just behind the lead wraps and add a few wraps over the lead to secure it in place.
- Trim about 2.5–3" of Uni-Yarn from the spool and tie onto the hook just behind the lead, then secure down the length of the shank a little past the bend and wrap the thread back to the tie-in point of the yarn.
- Trim about 3" of wire from the spool and tie onto the hook at the same point as the yarn, then secure down the shank and back up to the bead, just like with the yarn.
- Wrap the yarn up the shank with touching wraps toward the bead, making a tight, even body. Secure the yarn behind the bead, leaving a small gap (about half the length of the bead) for dubbing.
- Wrap the wire up the shank toward the bead 5–6 times and secure at the same point as the yarn.
- Twist a small amount of dubbing onto your thread, wrap it snugly around the bead a few times, then whip finish. Don't overdub — keep a nice even taper from the butt to the bead.
- Go catch a trout!
About the Journeyman Caddis
If you've spent any time on Western rivers, you know caddisflies are a staple of the trout menu — especially in their pupa stage. The Journeyman Caddis imitates that vulnerable pupa phase when trout simply can't resist. Whether you're swinging through riffles or nymphing deep on your home water, this fly gets it done.
I've been tying variations of this fly for years but never thought to give it a name until writing this recipe. "Journeyman" seems fitting — because this fly puts in a lot of work. I always have multiple colors and sizes in my nymph box and fish them all year. In the warmer months I lean toward sizes 14 & 16 in cream, light olive, and chartreuse. In colder months I mostly stick to size 18s and occasionally 16s in darker olive or chartreuse. In summer it works great as a dropper on a dry-dropper rig; in winter it shines as a tag fly above or off the back of a heavier fly. I tend to have more success with this fly in the middle of the water column or just off the bottom — but I've caught plenty bouncing it along the bottom too. As I said, this thing puts in work.
Another great thing about this fly is how easy it is to adapt. If you're not sure what size or color to use, flip a few rocks over and take a peek at what's crawling around. I chose the specific colors in this recipe based on a close look at a caddis larva that got skewered by one of my nymphs while fishing the Deschutes recently. Being able to apply observations from the water to the flies I fish is what attracted me most to fly fishing for trout in the first place — and what has fueled my obsession with fly tying ever since. Don't be afraid to mix it up based on your own experience.
Watch the full tying tutorial on our YouTube channel:
🎥 Fly Fishing Unfiltered on YouTube
About the Fly Tyer: Zack Borcher
Zack Borcher is an NWFFO staff member who has been fly fishing for decades and is a professional fly tyer, using his skills to fund his passion for the sport.