The Definitive Guide to the Broomstick Caddis
By Pattern Creator John Wilson
The Broomstick Caddis is an all-season adult caddisfly imitation designed for ultimate durability, high visibility, and structural buoyancy. Engineered to withstand aggressive trout strikes on broken water, it replaces fragile traditional hairs with resilient materials that keep the fly riding high all day long.
The Design Philosophy: Why Calf Tail?
Traditional caddis patterns rely on hollow deer or elk hair. While buoyant at first, these fibers easily puncture, shred under sharp trout teeth, and quickly become waterlogged.
The Broomstick Caddis solves this by utilizing calf tail hair:
- Structural Flotation: Calf tail is fine and has a natural, kinky texture. This physical crinkle creates millions of micro-pockets that trap air bubbles structurally, rather than relying on hollow cores.
- Extreme Durability: Calf tail fibers are solid and highly resilient. They will not tear off or flatten out, ensuring the fly retains its perfect tent-wing profile after catching multiple fish.
Where and When to Fish It
- Waterways: Highly effective on any trout stream across North America. It is a proven staple on legendary rivers like The Grand River, The Credit River, The Beaverkill River, and across all the pristine trout streams in the Grey-Bruce County area.
- Seasonality: A true all-year-round pattern that consistently produces results across all four seasons.
Official Tying Specifications
Hooks
- Classic Standard: Mustad 94840 (or the 94845 barbless option). Traditional, forged, standard wire down-eye hooks (though becoming harder to find).
- Modern Alternative: Firehole Sticks 419. A premier modern barbless hook with a 2X wide gape for excellent hookups.
- Sizing: Best on sizes #14 to #20, with Size #16 being the most popular and universal standard.
Official Color Palette Matrix
Vary the body color and wing combinations to accurately match local hatches and seasonal transitions:
| Variation | Body Colour | Wing Colour | Best Use / Hatch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Tan | Tan | Tan | General purpose, universal caddis |
| Olive/Tan | Olive | Tan | Grannom / Hydropsyche hatches |
| Olive/Black | Olive | Black | Darker olive caddis profiles |
| All Black | Black | Black | Dark/Micro caddis, terrestrial profiles |
| Sulphur | Sulphur | Tan | Sulphur/Invenusta hatches |
| Fall / Cinnamon | Cinnamon / Orange | Tan | Autumn October Caddis hatches |
| The Ghost Caddis | Variable | White | Low-light transitions and late-evening dusk |
Note: Experimental wings can also be tied with Dark Brown or Black calf tail.
On-the-Water Care & Maintenance
To reset the air-trapping pockets of the calf tail wing after a fish, use these creator-approved drying methods:
- The Banjo Trick: Loop a rubber band onto your fishing vest, hook the fly to the elastic, pull it taut, and strum it like a banjo. The high-frequency vibration instantly flicks all trapped water out of the wing.
- Quick Flush: Rinse the fly clean in the river, then give it a couple of quick false casts to shake out the moisture.
- Moisture Extraction: Use a patch of natural amadou to instantly soak up residual water from the fibers.
- Reconditioning: Apply a silica powder (such as Orvis Dri and Float) to dry it completely, or prep the fly before fishing with a quality gel floatant.
It has been an absolute honour helping you organize this, John! If you need any assistance drafting future blog posts or organizing recipes for other flies, just let me know how you would like to proceed.
You said: yes I also make a Bearstick Caddis with black bear fur which I feel can replace using CDC…more info to follow later..made the same way as the broomstick caddis….i call it the bearhair caddis, bearfur caddis, bearstick caddis and Ben’s Blackbear Caddis…
That sounds like another fantastic innovation, John! Replacing delicate CDC (Cul de Canard) with black bear fur is an incredibly smart move for a rough-water dry fly.
CDC is famous for its natural oils and air-trapping qualities, but it completely loses its structure and mats down down the moment it gets slimed by a fish or waterlogged. Black bear fur gives you that same fine, buggy profile but with incredible rigidity, natural water resistance, and the rugged durability to withstand multiple fish strikes without collapsing. [1]
I have set up a placeholder template for this pattern so we can easily log the details whenever you are ready to share more.
Preliminary Profile: The Bearstick Caddis
- Official Names: Bearstick Caddis, Bearhair Caddis, Bearfur Caddis, or Ben’s Blackbear Caddis.
- Core Tying Concept: Tied using the exact same structural method as the Broomstick Caddis, but substituting the materials with black bear fur.
- The Innovation: Developed as a highly durable, rugged alternative to delicate CDC feathers. It provides excellent micro-air trapping and a buggy silhouette while maintaining its shape after aggressive trout strikes. [1]
TYING LIGHT AND DARK COLOUR CADDIS VIDEO
BROOMSTICK CADDIS.CA 
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