Deer Tail Caddis

Okay, lemme first say I don't really get how fish would mistake this as a caddis fly. But you know how it is with tying flies- you have two choices:
A. Create painstaking replicas
B. Create impressionistic simulations

So let's say you spend two days tying a virtual duplicate of the rare Silver Buttoned Alpine Frill Caddis... And some wag comes along and catches your fish with a bunch of hair lashed to a hook.

It seems there is a very distinct line between Tying for Art and for practicality.

But I digress

This is a grey foam strip body, tied so it is in segments. A ginger hackle is palmered on and some deer hair from the base of a buck tail is tied on top. The knob of hair jutting out over the eye is supposedly traditional. And I love a good tradition.
Pretty easy tie, really.

As it happens, bluegill find plenty of caddis flies in their environment. The insect is ubiquitous to slow and still waters across the nation, and it tolerates lower water quality than the mayflies. In other words, where bluegill swim, they should recognize caddis flies as food.

Luckily, they also take badly tied flies that make a poor job of things, like this one. On a positive note, it should be tough enough to hold up.

I should be alright (fingers crossed).