The caddis fly, a meat and potatoes fly both for the angler and for the trout he seeks. The caddis is found most everywhere, and it can be fished in various forms. Tied as a pupa, nymph, dry and as an emerger. It is the emerger that I love to fish. My memory and other scribbled notes have told me that the months of August through October are prime times to fish this fly.
The caddis emerger is tied in such a way as to really excite trout. Most times it is tied full, utilizing multiple hackles, spikey bodies and a wing. While the wing is not necessary I do put them on a few of these flies. The colors and sizes can also vary but I like the tan, orange and olive colors.
This winged caddis emerger features a curved hook. I love this style of hook for this type of fly. It is a size 12. The body is natural fox squirrel belly but you can use whatever dubbing you like. It has a Wood duck wing and pheasant hackle collar.
This one features the same dubbing, minus the wing and two hackles from a partridge.
This one uses that same spikey dubbing, with a cdc feather from a partridge. The hackle is bleached partridge.
This big boy is a good representation of the "October Caddis"..it a big fly and does quite well on getting those wary trout to strike.
Alan,
ReplyDeleteOh, I love that last one with the orange and up-eye salmon hook! I used to go through a lot of those hooks back in WI for Steelhead and Salmon. Other ties would be more productive here though.
billp
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Yes Bill that style of hook is so visually appealing. It's surprising just how many smaller fish will take that fly.
Alan
ReplyDeleteJust wondering do you reduce the size if you are using the fly as dropper off a dry? That October Caddis is a killer! Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill I never fish a dry-dropper. I tend to stay with one fly. I know several flies are more productive but i like the one fly set on small streams. That October caddis is a big bug.
CDC from a partridge???????
ReplyDeleteUnknown
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CDC, sorry. I should have said marabou feather from a partridge.
Those flies look great! When would you use them instead of a simpler soft hackle? Only when you see a lot of caddis emerging?
ReplyDeleteI am still discovering surprises left behind by Elsa. New logjams and a lot of sunfish and largemouth bass in places that I have not seen them before.
Shawn
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Shawn I like the fuller caddis patterns when fishing those swifter parts of a small stream. The fly tied like this takes on a different profile in heavy current. Although small streams don't offer prolific hatches of caddis they are there and the fish know it. Try a few and see. A few streams were really changed from the high water. I've not observed any sunfish though.
Great flies! Hen pheasant and woodcock...two of the most underappreciated soft hackles for caddis patterns.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
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Your so right. They both have excellent movement in the water, have beautiful markings and are easy to access with not a lot of heavy cost.