caddis hatch

[notan641]

I found myself in an amazing caddis hatch and did not know what the heck to do. The day was salvaged when I finally took some on top. But there were so many fish to be had. So I had to do some research and figure some things out and I came across this article

http://midcurrent.com/flies/anticipating-a-caddisfly-hatch/

I thought it was interesting and will have to reread it a few times.
I don't know if I did the link right. I guess I have to study that too.

 

[Jessed]

The best thing to do when you're in the middle of a crazy hatch with fish rising all around you is don't rush anything. Take your time and asses the situation. You'll often see caddis floating down stream or landing on you, so you want to find out size and color. I find size is more important than color 97% of the time. Then take a caddis pattern out of your box and "match the hatch". Once you see a fish rise agian cast a few feet in front of the fish and make sure you get a drag free drift and make that fly land as naturally as possible. Good luck!

 

[DaveS]

I'll recommend to you, "Caddisflies" by Gary LaFontaine. So much to learn from this book...

 

[Jessed]

Also if you're not a reader YouTube is also a wonderful recourse. If you're a visual learner like me

 

[notan641]

When there was a few in the air, I was nymphing with limited success. When I saw some splashy rises I went emerger with no success. Then when there were hundreds in the air I cast an adams, only because it was already attached to my dry fly leader. I actually got one with the adams and then switched to a light elk hair and picked up 2 more.
I really was not expecting that many bugs on April 2nd. I was not prepared with knowledge or fly selection. I paged through Lafontains book a few years ago and it was too much for me then. I might have to give it another look.

 

[DavidFin]

Swing wets next time or drown them in a tandem set up and then lift your rig straight up at varying speeds until you start getting hits, having honed in on the rate of the speed of the caddis rising through the column.

 

[Mike]

They were all over the Lehigh R and roads near the river in Whitehall Twsp, Lehigh Co today.

 

[DaveS]

Yes, I'm not suggesting read "Caddisflies" cover to cover. I've done so twice, but really get more from an outting like you had, then go to the book, extract a bit more knowledge, another pattern, technique, etc. Then go back and tattoo the fish properly.

 

[LetortAngler]

Saw lots of egg laying grannoms this evening along the Conodo/Lower Letort. Won't be long til they start in central.
I'll also second Lafontaines Caddislfies. Published in 1981, IMO it still remains the most comprehensive work done on the subject.

 

[troutbert]

What do the caddis you are seeing look like?

What I've been seeing on lower Spring Creek have dark dun, nearly black, bodies and wings. They are smaller than grannoms. The body size is roughly size 18, and the wings extend well past the body.

As with other caddis, they look bigger flying than at rest, so you might guess they are size 16s when flying. But at rest, they look pretty small.

Every year on Spring Cr and Bald Eagle Creek, I see some small dark caddis, which hatch earlier than the grannoms. I don't know the common name or the Latin name for these.

I've seen these on other streams also.

 

[afishinado]

troutbert wrote:
What do the caddis you are seeing look like?

What I've been seeing on lower Spring Creek have dark dun, nearly black, bodies and wings. They are smaller than grannoms. The body size is roughly size 18, and the wings extend well past the body.

As with other caddis, they look bigger flying than at rest, so you might guess they are size 16s when flying. But at rest, they look pretty small.

Every year on Spring Cr and Bald Eagle Creek, I see some small dark caddis, which hatch earlier than the grannoms. I don't know the common name or the Latin name for these.

I've seen these on other streams also.

Most likely Chimarra caddis.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/38313/bgimage?from=0

 

[troutbert]

afishinado wrote:

troutbert wrote:
What do the caddis you are seeing look like?

What I've been seeing on lower Spring Creek have dark dun, nearly black, bodies and wings. They are smaller than grannoms. The body size is roughly size 18, and the wings extend well past the body.

As with other caddis, they look bigger flying than at rest, so you might guess they are size 16s when flying. But at rest, they look pretty small.

Every year on Spring Cr and Bald Eagle Creek, I see some small dark caddis, which hatch earlier than the grannoms. I don't know the common name or the Latin name for these.

I've seen these on other streams also.

Most likely Chimarra caddis.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/38313/bgimage?from=0

Probably so.

 

[laszlo]

I ran into a great caddis hatch on the Yellow Breeches Sunday around noon. Really heavy for an hour or so. The first trout I caught tore up the fly pretty good but I continued to catch seven more on that mangled fly. I then drove a few miles downstream and caught another one on the caddis. Then it stopped but the Hendrickson hatch started. Caught four more on the Hendrickson. These were all smallish browns 8-10 and I do not think they were from the recent stockings. It was a glorious day on the Yellow Breeches.

 

[notan641]

What do the caddis you are seeing look like? What I've been seeing on lower Spring Creek have dark dun, nearly black, bodies and wings. They are smaller than grannoms. The body size is roughly size 18, and the wings extend well past the body. As with other caddis, they look bigger flying than at rest, so you might guess they are size 16s when flying. But at rest, they look pretty small. Every year on Spring Cr and Bald Eagle Creek, I see some small dark caddis, which hatch earlier than the grannoms. I don't know the common name or the Latin name for these. I've seen these on other streams also.

They were tan, not mottled size 16. I did not notice the body but I should have. They were landing on my rod and the bill of my cap.

 

[sandfly]

early season caddis are generally smoky wing sedge, they come off before the grannoms. been around for 2 weeks off and on.

 

[3oh4]

Haha - Jessed said the best thing to do is slow down... Yea good luck if your like me. When fish start boiling my body reacts like I just did 6 lines of cocaine. My fly patch/boxes look like an F5 tornado went through a small town in Nebraska.

I tell myself every year, just take a deep breath and slooow down and relax... IT NEVER WORKS!

 

[dryflyguy]

It could well have been a grannom hatch.
I fished a heavy one on a central pa limestoner, a week ago now

 

[bigjohn58]

laszlo wrote:
I ran into a great caddis hatch on the Yellow Breeches Sunday around noon. Really heavy for an hour or so. The first trout I caught tore up the fly pretty good but I continued to catch seven more on that mangled fly. I then drove a few miles downstream and caught another one on the caddis. Then it stopped but the Hendrickson hatch started. Caught four more on the Hendrickson. These were all smallish browns 8-10 and I do not think they were from the recent stockings. It was a glorious day on the Yellow Breeches.

I was going to say the same exact thing! I have come across huge grannom caddis hatches but among the caddis flies there were hendricksons also floating on the surface. They were not in real large numbers like the caddis but the trout were definitely keying in on the hendricksons.

 

[NewSal]

3oh4 wrote:
Haha - Jessed said the best thing to do is slow down... Yea good luck if your like me. When fish start boiling my body reacts like I just did 6 lines of cocaine. My fly patch/boxes look like an F5 tornado went through a small town in Nebraska.

I tell myself every year, just take a deep breath and slooow down and relax... IT NEVER WORKS!

Dude same here, ran into some boiling fish on spring creek yesterday, when it gets going hot and heavy like that my hands literally start trembling lol

 

[shakey]

Sometimes with caddis ,you gotta wiggle it a little bit.