Early in the season, particularly on the Arkansas River, a caddis with a dark body is highly effective. Deer hair caddis with a peacock body are probably a better imitation of the caddis that hatch in thick clouds on the Arkansas; however, I’ve found that a dark olive-brown body caddis also fools fish. In addition this fly produces during other early season caddis hatches on various Colorado rivers so it is more versatile.
Underside of Olive Brown Deer Hair Caddis
| Component | Material |
|---|---|
| Hook | Tiemco 100 Size 16 |
| Thread | Olive |
| Body | Olive-brown dubbing |
| Wing | Gray deer hair |
| Hackle | Grizzly neck feather |
Since I was on a roll making 20 light gray deer hair caddis, I simply swapped out the tying thread and dubbing and continued producing size 16 deer hair caddis with a dark olive-brown body. I made 15 of these to go along with the supply that already occupied my fly box.