The Sizzling Sedge

Sizzling Sedge - caddis pattern - waking fly

Recipe:

Hook:	10 or 8 TMC2312 or similar
Thread:	Light brown
Body:	Spun deer hair
Wings:	Preformed
Horns:	Hackle Stalks
Hackle:	Light brown cock

Uses:

The Sizzling Sedge is a waking pattern used to cover the caddis hatches. This is primarily a trout pattern, but will work for sea trout, steelhead, and chub (european).

How to fish:

Fished using a waking presentation, either up stream, or more typically using a down and across quartering action. The fly is skated across the surface either using a retrieve or drag in the current. This bushy fly requires an appropriately built leader and a well executed cast to achieve proper turnover.

Tying Instructions:

	1. Take the tying silk to the rear of the hook, inbetween the point of the hook and the barb.
	2. Get hold of a turbo dubbing twister.
	3. Form a loop as shown. Secure the loop at the top, with a few wraps of silk.
	4. Trim a chunk of deer hair, distribute evenly in the loop, and spin like shown.
	5. Form the body with open turn of the deer hair rope.
	6. Flatten the top of the fly, ready for the wing.
	7. The preformed wings. You can make your own by cutting a grouse, or other webby feather, with a wing cutter, then treat the feather with Dave's Fleximent.
	8. Secure the wing in place over the trimmed deer hair.
	9. The wing from above.
	10. Strip two hackle stalks and tie in at the head of the fly. This is optional.
	11. Tie in a high quality hackle with the concave side facing the fly.
	12. Form the hackle around the shank. Finish the fly with a few half hitches, and varnish.
	13. Remove the fly from the vice, and trim the underside of the fly flat. This is so it skates evenly on the water. See how the fly sits unaided, this is what you need to achieve.

This is an excellent pattern when the light is fading, it works just as well up stream, as it does down stream.

About the Author: Andrew Petherick is European Sales Manager for Cortland Line Company. He was the founding editor, and is a current writer for, Today's Fly Fisher. He is a traveled and experienced fly-fisher and photographer.

Notes

History & Variations: I was getting tired of my flies sinking, we have all been there! I had just been shown the proper way to fish skating sedges, and was applying the knowledge, only problem was that the flies kept on sinking!

Time to put the thinking cap on, and hit the vice. At home later that night I drew up a check list:

1. The fly needed a flat, buoyant bottom.
2. It had to maintain its hooking capability.
3. It had to cause as much disturbance as possible.
4. It had to look like a sedge.
5. It had to be suitable for up stream casting, if I found a rising fish.

I started work, and after a few failed attempts, I came up with the sizzling sedge, which has served me well since its conception in the early 90's. I agree to look at, its just like a normal sedge, arguably similar, but its how it performs on the water that sets it apart, that, and its far easier to tie!

Although this colour and size combination serves me well, don't be afraid to change the colour/size to suit your local hatches.