CDC Iris Caddis

Tied by Cheech · August 2026

Revisiting one of the absolute best caddis patterns out there: the Iris Caddis, originally designed by Craig Matthews. This thing isn't just a dead-on caddis imitation; it's a phenomenal high-floating attractor pattern when fish are looking up—and honestly, it's one of my all-time favorite flies to fish all over Patagonia, Argentina.

In this video, I’m breaking down the tie with a few tweaks of my own—specifically adding a CDC collar to help it ride high and float even better when the water gets choppy. Let me know what you think of the tweak in the comments!

• Hook: TMC 100 Dry Fly Hook — 12 / 100 Pack
• Hook (Alternate): TMC 900 BL Barbless Dry Fly Hook — 12
• Thread: SemperFli Nano Silk Ultra Fine 50D 12/0 — Brown
• Thread (Alternate): SemperFli Nano Silk Ultra Fine 50D 12/0 — Gray
• Shuck: Fulling Mill Ultra Dry Yarn — Brown Dun
• Shuck (Alternate): Fulling Mill Ultra Dry Yarn — Brown Olive
• Body: Fulling Mill Ultra Dry; Dub — Pepperbox
• Body (Alternate): Fulling Mill Ultra Dry Dub — Hare's Ear
• Wing: EP Fibers — Silver Gray
• Wing (Alternate): EP Fibers — Gray
• Hackle: Swiss CDC Super Select Grade — Khaki Campell
• Hackle (Alternate): Fulling Mill CDC Feathers - 1G — Natural Grey
• Tools Used: Kuchelmeister MultiClamp Tool, Feather Prepper, C&F Design Top Twister