Be sure to visit our on-line store at

 http://www.flytyingworld.com/angling/index.html
for your tying needs.

Hatching Rackelhanen

Originators: Kenneth Boström and Tomas Olsson

Hook:  Dry fly hook (sized to the caddis you intend to imitate)  

Thread:  Same color as the body

Tail: Polypropylene yarn (color to match your local caddis population and burned to shape with wing burner) 

Body:  Polypropylene yarn  (color to match your local caddis population tied fluffy) 

Shuck:  Polypropylene yarn  (color to match your local caddis population) 

Note:  This fly is a variant of the Rackelhane fly and imitates a hatching caddis.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)

Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Instructions

1. Start with a piece of beige polypropylene yarn.  Burn one end of the piece so it looks like the one on the picture.  And tie it on the shank.

2. Dub the thread with medium brown polypropylene yarn - 10 mm long cut pieces of polyyarn that you have mixed together and fluffed up.

3. Form a back body.  Make sure that the body is "airy," not compact.  Leave 1/3 of the shank length free for wing and front body.

4. Tie in a piece of Grey polypropylene yarn, spread it sideways, should be fairly wide.

5. Dub the thread again with medium brown polypropylene yarn - 10 mm long cut pieces of polyyarn that you have mixed together and fluffed up.

6. Form a mid body.  Make sure that the body is "airy," not compact.

7. Fold the Grey piece of poly yarn forwards and spread it sideways, should be fairly wide.  Tie it on the shank, leaving a room for the head.

8. Again, dub the thread with medium brown polypropylene yarn - 10 mm long cut pieces of polyyarn that you have mixed together and fluffed up.  Form a front body/head.  Finish with one or two whip finish knots.

Remember to impregnate only the wing before fishing, otherwise the fly will float too high in the water.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)

Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Rackelhanen 

Originator: Kenneth Boström in 1967

Hook:  Light dry hook #10-#18

Thread:  To match color of yarn.

Material:  Polypropylene yarn

Note 1:  May be tied in size and color to imitate your local caddis flies.

Note 2:  Other names used for this fly: Polysedge, Rackelhahn

Note 3: Pictured fly is tied with brown dyed Polywing material.

Scroll down for instructions.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)

Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

The construction and the idea of Rackelhanen was developed in 1967 during a hatching of caddis in Vännån River located on the border between the counties of Kronoberg and Halland in Sweden.  

The fish was extremely selective on a special caddis, whose pupa hatched just below the surface.  The fish only took the hatched fly in the zone between, 10-20 cm below the surface and up to the surface.  The pupa, would be an easy target all the way from the bottom to 10-20 cm from the surface.  But this pupa didn't interest the fish, neither did the hatched fly that rested on the water surface ready to fly away.  This hatching kept going on for several evenings.  

I finally understood the problem, I found the right method to copy this hatching procedure after a long time of experiments.  It took some time, but when I had found the right material (polypropylenyarn), the tying technique and the fishing technique - the Rackelhane fly turned out to be deadly efficient.  

The fly was not very beautiful, it's appearance was almost frightful.  Because of this I was very reluctant to show the fly to my fishing friends. I was always prepared for laughs, but soon the laugh changed into other expressions, when they took the time to try my creation.  It was one of my fly fishing friends who named the fly Rackelhanen.  He thought the fly looked like a "bastard."

The name Rackelhane comes from the Swedish name of a cross between a Black Grouse male (Heathcock - Lyrurus t. tetrix), and a Western capercaillie, (Tetrao urogallus, female).  They are two gallinaceous European gamebirds.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)

Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Fishing Technique 

During the years I have developed many different fishing methods with Rackelhanen.  I will try to describe the most important methods. Rackelhanen almost always is fished in the surface and with a floating line.  But at certain times it could be better to choose a sinktip line.  A Rackelhane should always be treated with a floating substance.  Many people have misunderstood the quality of polypropylene, and believe that it floats well without treatment, but it won't!

Caddis have many different ways of hatching.  These ways must we, as anglers know how to imitate.  The Rackelhane makes a blurry silhouette when it is looked at from underneath against the sky.  This is most likely the best explanation why the Rackelhane is so efficient.  The material gives the impression of life, and the caddis are never still either on or in the water, in contrast to the mayfly.

Technique 1. Stripping on the surface. Short and "nervous" pulls, 2 inch long, with a short pause between them.  This imitates the behavior of egg laying or drinking caddis

Technique 2. When I see the fish eating "swimming" "paddling" caddis pupae on the water, I usually cut of the wings on Rackehanen and present it as a surface swimming pupa heading for land.

Technique 3. A - Let the leader sink.  You can gladly use a sink tip line with a short tip.  B - Pull the line so that the fly drags under the water surface.  C - Make a short pause, and the fly floats up again with a plopping sound.  This technique gives a perfect imitation of a caddis that is hatching just below the surface

Technique 4. You can also fish Rackelhanen completely free floating as a dry fly, imitating a spent caddis.

During the years I have tested the Rackelhanen on many different species of fish, e.g. trout, char, rainbow trout, cutthroat, grayling and many more, both here in Europe and in USA.  Everywhere the fish have taken my fly with the same confidence and trust as Swedish trout.  Because of this I strongly believe that you can find it worth your while to try Rackelhanen on your next fishing trip.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)

Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Instructions

Use a prewaxed thread of the same color as the rest of the fly.  Cover the shank with thread down to the bend, turn here and wind a couple of mm in the opposite direction.  Wax the thread thoroughly, dub it with 1 cm long cut pieces of poly yarn that you have fluffed up.

Wind the two first turns down against the bend.  Here you turn and wind in the opposite direction.  This way you can trap the fibers from the first turns (otherwise it's difficult to have these stay in the right position) down under the body material.  Remember to leave space for the wings and front
body.

Cut a piece of the poly yarn and use the right amount of fibers for the hook size you are using.  Tie the yarn on to the hook as shown in the picture.

Fold the other wing-half backwards and fasten it with a couple of thread turns over the wing-base.  Remember to leave enough space for head and front body.

Trim the wings by cutting them just behind the hook bend.  Important that you don't make them too long.

Dub the thread again with 10-20 mm long bits of fluffed poly yarn and tie the front body.  Finish the fly by making a small head with tying thread.  You can varnish the head if you feel like it but it isn't necessary, because we used the pre-waxed thread.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)

Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Streaking Caddis

Originators: Kenneth Boström and Lennart Bergqvist

Hook:  Mustad 94840, size 8.

Thread: Monocord B, or any other strong thread.

Body Rear: Fly-Rite #20, dark tan.

Body Front: Deer hair.

Wing: Deer hair.

Note 1:  Trim hair in a triangle shape as seen in below photograph.   Scroll down for Instructions.

Note 2:  This Dry fly imitates the Phryganea Grandis, the largest caddis fly in Scandinavia.  You can also use this pattern to imitate smaller caddis by reducing the hook size.  You can also use colored deer hair to imitate your local caddis better, or mix grey and brown deer hair.  

Note 3:  Impregnate the fly before use.

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)

Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Instructions

1. Dub Body...

  2. Measure deer hair and grip hair at tie in point.

3. Without moving hair from hook position, switch hands, and tie in with 2 wraps.

 4. Tighten thread to flare deer hair as shown.

5. Trim hair into shape.  When viewing the finished fly from the front, the front body should be triangle-shaped, with a flat cut bottom (see top picture).

Finished fly should look like this.

 © Instructional pictures and text by Kenneth Boström 2001

Select One of Kenneth's Flies:

Hatching Rackelhanen (Instructions)

Rackelhanen (Instructions & Information)

Streaking Caddis (Instructions)

Return to Kenneth's Introduction.

Be sure to visit our on-line store at

 http://www.flytyingworld.com/angling/index.html
for your tying needs.