Goddard Caddis By Charlie Craven

The Goddard Caddis is one of my favorite old-timey flies and a great adult caddis imitation. The hair body keeps the fly afloat much longer than other more conventional patterns. I remember tying this fly when I was a kid, and vividly recall the trials and tribulations associated with spinning deer hair. I'll show you what I have learned in all my years of tying this fly to hopefully shorten your learning curve.
Materials:
Hook: TMC 100SP-BL #10-18
Thread: Black 18/0 Semperfly Nano Silk
Body/Wing: Hopper Deer Hair
Thorax: Peacock Green Nature’s Spirit Emergence Dubbing (Optional)
Hackle: Brown Rooster Neck Or Saddle
All materials are available for purchase at charliesflyboxinc.com/

[@stevesapsead4084]

If ever there was a Master Class in fly tying then I've just witnessed it. That was bloody wonderful. Thank you.

[@kurzhaarguy]

Very nice variant. I’m not sure when, “Goddard,” got attached to this. I’m mid 60’s and when I was a very young ladd it was taught to me by an old tyer in his 70’s. It was then called a Muddler Head. Done dark brown in 14-16 it was a go to for little black caddis. Thanks for the lesson, Charlie!

[@handsonthroat]

Thank you, Charlie! That steam trick was rad! And heck *yeah for ditching the antennae. :)

[@RaptorzFishing]

Great video!!! thanks for all the tips and tricks!! will give it a go the next days!!! super neat!!!!

[@mbaird3286]

Good show. You working in a machine shop today?

[@sonja9001]

I just found a very interesting few paragraphs about the Goddard Caddis on a site called The English fly shop. Apparently Goddard wound a dubbing body and faired the deer hair just on top of the hook. The Goddard Caddis in all black is a photo on the site. But I like Your take on not tying the antennas. I tied a few up that look terrible....but know they will catch trout but not picky bluegills.

[@ericlong9085]

Excellent, great tip with steaming the hair

[@sonja9001]

Opps! I must have confused articles on the Goddard Caddis. It was Fly Fishing the Sierra website that had a cool photo of an all black Goddard Caddis. The English Fly Fishing Shop still has great historical info on the Goddard Caddis.

[@bigdaddy99929]

Very nice deer hair fly. Thx

[@tmarkk99]

Thank you Charlie. Excellent video. Enjoyed the pro tips. I will try that steaming trick. Learned something new today! Now if I can only get through the day without bleeding...

[@conradezequiel5851]

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[@pedrokorbin4507]

@Conrad Ezequiel instablaster =)

[@conradezequiel5851]

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[@conradezequiel5851]

@Pedro Korbin it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy! Thanks so much you saved my account!

[@pedrokorbin4507]

@Conrad Ezequiel Glad I could help :)

[@WATTSROBIN]

That's the way I have always tied mine, the only difference is that I use a stimulator hook. Funnily enough, ones tied with fluoro green dubbing outfished ones tied with hot orange dubbing by a considerable margin.

[@jazzodriscoll6049]

Chuck: you can’t spin it, the bend is in the way. Tommy Lynch: Hold my beer.

[@GeorgeSemel]

I never tie them with the antenna either, I found that the tippet would twist while fishing. Now I like the addition of dubbing. I don't think the fish care that much, anything to make the fly look better proportionally and more durable I am for. My go-to size is a #14 and #16, I tie # 12 for the purpose of hanging a nymph off the back end.

[@hankvana2149]

Hey George, how's it going? Like you I tie some of these in "extra large" sizes - but I will go up to #6 and around 1 1/4 inches long for a buoyant "hopper-dropper" rig. I also use the large sizes mid summer - I often see a light colored moth running on the surface in the evening and the smallmouth bass go absolutely nuts chasing them.

[@GeorgeSemel]

@@hankvana2149 Well I am fine, I been tying flies every day with what I have. Can't go to the local ( for me a 60 -mile drive) fly shop. Other than needing a set of waders, it's ok, been downright cold for April and a lot of rain, more to come, this weekend.

[@joeg5414]

Same here.... They seemed to just get in the way so I cut them off.

[@dk8583]

Considering you mentioned it a few times in this video... How about a big-ass deer hair bass popper video?

[@jimfreeman3636]

Simon peaked my curiosity, so I went back through my pre-60's reference books because something was niggling at my memory about yarn tied down before spinning and then bringing that yarn back under the body after hair trimming. I didn't find it, but Leonard and Leiser, et al, show just what we see here by Charlie. Simon, I'd be interested to know what the original called for. Regardless, this is damned sure close enough for government work! Nice tie, Charlie.

[@jimfreeman3636]

Alright, I finally found a reference showing the underbody. Mike Dawes The Flytier's Manual 1985. Dawes is an English tyer, so that might make sense. Green or yellow wool or seal's fur (of course - the ubiquitous seal's fur). I remember it being a pain in the butt to tye it this way. Like I said, good enough for government work, Charlie.

[@mcbdroid]

Charlie, excellent video, thanks for making and sharing. Same question, approx. how long do you steam the hair?

[@CharliesFlyBox]

Mark Beauharnois twenty seconds or so? Probably less...it doesn’t take long.

[@williamboston8702]

Thanks for video, very nice fly. Just wondering - any thoughts about using peacock herl instead of the peacock dubbing?

[@wyomingtrout5581]

Charlie, have you ever considered putting super glue on the hook or wax the GSP thread w' beeswax to have a firm foundation?

[@thomasw_]

Roughly for how long do you steam the deer hair?

[@jimgonzales7702]

What head cement do you use on your Goddard?

[@hirkojs]

I just recently started learning to tie and have been very reluctant to try deer hair flies but this video really gives me the incentive to try. Mega Thx for all your video postings!!!

[@benperchalski4825]

Would buying a cheap "pelt" be a fair way to buy bulk or would it be a waste. I'm still really new to all of this and I'm not exactly sure. I just don't want to waste $65-100 of that's all it will be is just a waste

[@CharliesFlyBox]

I’d advise just getting a large piece of deer hair rather than a whole hide. A 4x8 piece of deer will tie more Goddards than you’d ever want.

[@benperchalski4825]

@@CharliesFlyBox lol not just for this piece but just hair practice in general but thank you I greatly appreciate the advice my good man. There's a place kinda close to me does deer butchering and I was debating on stopping by to see if they had anything they would be willing to part with. Again thank you for the advice

[@maskedmofomike]

fly request. troll-haired mystery bug

[@joeg5414]

Where do you find troll hair?!

[@simonsmith9363]

Nothing like John Goddard and Cliff Henry's original so it should have a name change.