Dry FliesKCK (Kelly's Coho Killer)
The KCK (Kelly's Coho Killer) rides a dark claret chenille body with sparse scarlet-dyed hackle and tail, a mallard flank wing that hugs the body, and a strand of fluorescent shrimp-pink Krystal Flash. Tied on a heavy Tiemco 777SP hook, it fishes subsurface as a bright, color-forward attractor rather than a dry fly. Kelly Davison's original combines contrast and flash for searching stained or off-color water.
Spring, Summer, Fall
Intermediate
Trout
Feb 2026
Overview
Hot orange tying thread anchors a dark claret plastic chenille body, with sparse scarlet-dyed hen hackle wound through it to push water and add movement without bulk. A sparse mallard flank wing hugs the body rather than standing proud, keeping the profile slim, while a single strand of fluorescent shrimp-pink Krystal Flash adds a hot point of attraction. Scarlet-dyed hackle barbs form the tail, continuing the color scheme from the rear. Tied on the heavy-wire Tiemco 777SP hook, the fly sinks and swims as a subsurface pattern designed by Kelly Davison to draw strikes through flash and color contrast rather than imitation.
Where to Buy This Fly
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Materials
- Hook:
- Tiemco 777SP #4
- Thread:
- Danville Flymaster 6/0, hot orange
- Tail:
- Hackle barbs, dyed scarlet - sparse
- Body:
- Plastic chenille, dark claret
- Hackle:
- Hen, dyed scarlet - sparse
- Wing:
- Mallard flank - sparse, hugging body
- Flash:
- Krystal Flash, fluorescent shrimp pink
Behavior & Presentation
Natural Behavior: Caddisflies exhibit distinctive skating behavior when laying eggs in coastal streams, racing across the surface with vibrating wings to disperse egg clusters widely. Fish in anadromous waters target these active insects because the high-energy movements signal abundant food sources, and caddis emergence often coincides with peak feeding periods for resident and migratory species.
Where Trout Eat It: Coho and trout hold in coastal runs where salmon stage during spawning migrations. Fish respond in 3-6 foot depths to bright scarlet and claret colors mimicking egg patterns.
How to Fish It: Use erratic stop-and-go retrieves with jigging action. Cast across and downstream, then strip-pause-strip with rod tip movement.
Best Water: Target Pacific Northwest runs with gravel substrate and foam lines in the Fraser River system.
Strike Type: During the erratic stop-and-go retrieve with jigging action, fish strike aggressively with line-ripping grabs. Expect powerful takes on the strip-pause-strip sequence as the bright scarlet hackle and claret body trigger response strikes.
Fishing Strategy
Rigging Suggestions: Fish on 9-12 foot leader with 4X-5X tippet. Can be used as the lead fly in a dry-dropper rig with a beadhead nymph 18-24 inches below.
Seasonal Timing: Most effective April through October during, and hatches. Peak productivity occurs May-June and September-October when salmon and trout feed aggressively.
Pro Tips: Floats well with proper floatant application. The natural materials provide good visibility without spooking wary fish.
Entomology
Caddisflies exhibit distinctive skating behavior when laying eggs in coastal streams, racing across the surface with wings vibrating rapidly to disperse egg clusters widely. Fish in anadromous waters target these active insects because the high-energy movements signal abundant food sources, and caddis emergence often coincides with peak feeding periods for resident and migratory species.
- Order
- Trichoptera
- Common Name
- Caddisfly
- Organism Type
- insect
- Life Stage
- adult
