Super Pupa

I came across this pattern in the 2009 summer issue of Fly Life magazine which is a fly fishing magazine hailing from Tasmania.  The magazine covers fresh and salt water fly fishing in New Zealand and Australia.  This simple pattern looks nothing like an emerging caddis pupa to my eye, but the fish have a different view of things.  This pattern is designed to fish just under the film.  To fish this pattern correctly you apply a little floatant to the tips of the hackle only, being careful not to get any on the dubbed body or the pattern will float to high.  I will admit that it can be a difficult pattern to track in broken water but it is a very effective pattern.  I have only been fishing it for a season but it has worked very well.  I have kept it close to the vest but its time to let the cat out of the bag.   Tie up a few and give them a try.

Recipe:
Hook: TMC 103 #10-16
Thread:  Uni 8/0 color to match dubbing
Abdomen:  Fly Rite dubbing to match natural
Thorax:  Fly Rite dubbing to match natural
Hackle:  5-6 turns of grizzly dry fly hackle

After finishing the fly the hackle is trimmed to a broad v shape by removing all fibers from the bottom of the fly and some fibers from the very top of the fly.

Effective color combinations for me have been green abdomen/brown or grey thorax, yellow abdomen/grey thorax, chartreuse abdomen/rust thorax, olive abdomen/dark grey thorax and solid brown, grey, olive or chartreuse.