I don't see or hear too many people using moth patterns. i have found that this pattern works well in the evening, under the moon light and especialy around pine trees. just a pattern i tweaked a little from the original.
A moth has a bulkier body than a caddis so i make the body a little heavier with fur dubbing. I also add a dry hackle rib for legs to help it stay afloat. the wing material i use is deer body hair. one thing about skinning my own deer i get to select the shades of hide i want to keep for tying. i cut patches and tan them.
thread: cream 6/0
hook: standard dry 94840
rib/legs: lt. blue dun dry hackle feather undersized
body: cream fur dubbing
wing: off white deer hair with tan tips
head: deer hair butts trimmed from wing
1. base thread shank and tie in hackle feather at bend. i keep this feather undersized.
2. add dubbing to thread. i like to use fur and keep it bulky.
3. wind dubbing towards front of hook leaving plenty of room for wing and head.
4. wind hackle feather forward keeping good space between winds.
5. trim deer hair from hide and even tips with hair stacker.
6. lay hair on hook shank with tips towards rear just beyond hook bend.
7. holding the deer hair on shank with one hand, make three soft wraps around deer hair, behind hook eye, and than pull downward tightening thread around deer hair. if you do this right the butts will flare above the hook eye and the tips won't flare as much.
make a couple more tight thread wraps around butts behind eye.
8. trim hair butts to make head above or behind hook eye. i don't mind using extra thread wraps behind head being that moths have a big head anyway. whip finish.
9. trim hackle even with hook point and you got it.
looks real enough to me!!
deer hair and light blue dun hackle cape
