Caddis dry tactic

[timmyt]

So this weekend or next weekend for the grannoms in the central PA area...?

 

[greenghost]

ryguyfi wrote:
I hit the grannom hatch at a local stream on Friday and employed a tactic on my dries that drove the fish nuts. Here's how it goes.


First dress your fly and even leader with some floatant. This is a down and across approach. So spot your riser and place yourself upstream within average casting distance. Cast to the far bank and drag your flies across the current towards the riser. The difference is the "skitter". As your fly is dragging across the current, lift your rod to take as much line off the water as possible, and wiggle your rod from left to right to add some action to the fly. This will keep the fly on top and have it be erratic just as the naturals do. You'll miss some strikes this way, but it can really make for some nice aggressive takes.

Next time you're on the stream and you see some decent caddis activity, head to a riffle or run and try this tactic.

Just as an FYI, I have used this technique from April to October with success. Though it doesn't "frequently" work it "sometimes" works. And there are those rare days...

Like the sunny October evening a few years ago on Slippery Rock Creek. It was exceptionally warm (80s) and large sedge-sized caddis were popping off. The tail water below the Armstrong Bridge was moving with fish chasing the bugs. I positioned myself above, at the top of the faster water, cast down and across, skittering as ruyguyfi mentioned, and had one of the most, fun memorable evenings in my fishing life. The strikes were smashing. Just waiting anticipating the hits was half the fun.

 

[osprey]

I am going out on a limb here but IMO caddis don't skitter they do the "sudden inch" the ones that "Skitter" are stoneflies.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

This article explains in detail on how to impart movement to a dry fly.

http://midcurrent.com/techniques/when-drag-is-desirable/



Here's a video of skittering caddis flies:

 

[JackM]

I could watch videos of rising trout all day. Then, I would go fishing.

 

[mutzinbaugh]

last night on the penns i was reeling in my cdc pattern and about 15 feet from my boots, bam, fish on. never did that before and don't think i will focus my presentation that way but anyway it was another one in the net!

 

[JackM]

I will sometimes use a skitter to "mend" a drift so as to pass by in the proper feeding lane. I cannot count the number of strikes that appeared to be "caused" by the skitter. This is not just with caddis, either, but about any fly. It all depends upon the mood of the riser.

 

[jdaddy]

Heritage-Angler wrote:

All I know is I want to fish SE Minnesota! What a sexy stream!

 

[barbless]

I was at Big Spring one evening last fall. It right at dusk, cold and breezy. I didn't even have a fishing rod with me, just dropped in to visit the fish. Saw a big caddis dancing over the water, dipping to lay eggs. It made a big buzzing fuss whenever it touched down. I said to myself, "that's what I call living dangerously".

A few seconds later, caddis hits the water again, fluttering in place right next to an undercut on the far side of the Ditch...boo-yow. The End.

 

[osprey]

barbless.......they DO get their attention don't they?