December Trout Fly of the Month: Light Cahill

December 2010

Fly of the Month:

Light Cahill

Within the vast pool of angling literature there exists somewhat of a division over the true origin of this classic pattern.  Several Americans claim the Cahill as their own creation, and they make a convincing argument.  But the Cahill owes its invention to a clever angler on the other side of the pond.  Don Cahill first tied this pattern in the last part of the 19th Century in the United Kingdom. Beyond any controversy, the Cahill has established itself as a requisite pattern in the fly boxes of anglers all over the world over the past one hundred-plus years since its introduction.

The Light Cahill is one of two dry fly color variations created by Don Cahill in the late 1880’s, the other being the very taking Dark Cahill.  Since its introduction, the Cahill has spawned pattern variations of nearly every type.  We’ve enclosed the dry fly version.  Also very successful are the wet fly and nymph versions of both the Light and Dark Cahill.  All are fished nearly everywhere water is found.  Ultimately, the success behind the Light Cahill, a mayfly imitation, can be attributed to its fantastic accuracy in imitating the lighter colored ephemerids, such as Stenacron canadense or Stenonema luteum

Featured Fly: Light Cahill

Designer: Don Cahill

Created: c. 1885-1890

Type: Dry Fly

Materials:

· Hook: 10-20

· Thread: Cream

· Hackle: Light ginger cock

· Wing: Wood duck flanks

· Body: Cream seal’s fur or synthetic dubbing of similar color

· Tail: Cream hackle fibers or light ginger hackle barbs