Life Cycle Wing Stencils

Sized according to actual Mayfly, Stonefly & Caddis wings

Frustrated with unrealistic wings made with wing burners, we decided to make stencils based on actual mayfly, caddis and stonefly wings. To get the sizes and shapes correct, we measured several insects in order to calculate an average wing size to hook size ratio.

Easy to Use

For caddis and stonefly wings, all that is necessary is to lay the stencil on your wing material, trace its shape, and cut out the shape. Tie in the stonefly wing flat on the back of the fly. The caddis wing looks best when they are folded in half before they are tied in.

A pair of mayfly wings can be traced out in the same manner, or they can be made as a one-piece unit which is easier to tie in than two separate wings. To make a one-piece wing, trace out one wing shape and then flip over the stencil and trace out a second wing shape with the butt of both wing shapes touching one another. When tied in as a one-piece unit, the wing can be easily positioned and tied down.

  • Easy to Use
  • Make realistic wings
  • Make realistic wings