Best Buckskin Caddis Alternative - Shetland Yarn 07Mar23

I love the buckskin caddis fly larva in Colorado, especially on our freestone rivers. The problem is that buckskin material is kindof tough to deal with and results in inconsistencies in the tie. I've long sought alternative materials for this fly and had been tying it for a couple of years with a beige vinyl tube, until now. I read of a bug called the Utah Killer that was tied using yarn and has gotten lots of use as a sow bug or scud ~ yet the yarn for these is from a brand which carries an awesome color called buttermilk, which very effectively mimics buckskin. This is definitely a Colorado guide caddis ~ super simple & fast to tie, and (likely) very effective. Recipe:

• Hook: #16-#18 Daiichi 1150 Heavy or 1160 Klinkhammer, or any nice sized curved hook
• Thread: UTC 70 or 140 dark brown
• Body: Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift yarn in buttermilk color
• Head: Thread head coated with Sally Hansen's or UV cure epoxy

You can imagine the tie easily. The only real tips are to: 1) make a solid brown tie down of the yarn with directly abutting wraps as the yarn becomes translucent a bit when wet and the under-thread should be consistent as body internals and 2) twist the yarn a bit tighter during the palmering so the body is consistent. I bought the yarn HERE for ~$8 for 100 meters.