confused on caddis

[noclue]

As some of you may know I'm new to fly fishing and have no clue about what to use and when to use it(hence the name). I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to elaborate on how and when to use caddis flies.

 

[jayL]

noclue wrote:
As some of you may know I'm new to fly fishing and have no clue about what to use and when to use it(hence the name). I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to elaborate on how and when to use caddis flies.

The easiest way to tell when to use a caddis is when you see them fluttering on the water. A caddis is basically an aquatic moth.

Caddis

They tend to flutter, and can be rather awkward fliers. They often skitter around on the surface of the water. When fish are taking caddis, the strikes tend to be rather aggressive or splashy.

A good secondary way to tell is to check a hatch chart for the stream, or to ask on here. The hatch chart will help you to pinpoint any major emergence, but caddis are VERY common, and are usually present.

Caddis larvae and bushy elk hair caddis flies are also very good searching patterns for the times when nothing is hatching. Even during a relatively steady hatch of mayflies or some other larger insect, an elk hair caddis will catch fish.

As with anything fly fishing, there is no concrete way to tell. Sometimes stuff just works, sometimes it doesn't. I get enjoyment out of trying to find a pattern in it, because high complexity is very easy to confuse with randomness... but this year, I'm beginning to give up and attribute some feeding activities to chance.

 

[wetnet]

To me they look like a tiny moth, flutter the same and are a very light tan color. As far as when to use them. I don't think in Pa waters that you shouldn't have a collection of them in your fly box. If you want to match the hatch you can wait until you see them, but I'd fish them just to fish them. I've caught some good fish with them without a hatch.

 

[tomgamber]

I use a caddis when there is nothing else obvious. They are trout candy.

 

[PaulG]

Try them anytime in fast rippley water!

PaulG

 

[greenghost]

ANOTHER CADDIS TIP -- if caddis are definitely around but the trout aren't taking them. Try skittering the fly along the surface of the water in riffles and faster pocket water. Use a short length of line, like 9 to 15 feet, lift your rod tip high and "dapple" the fly along the surface. The fish sometimes chase after it and smash it when it hits the surface. It doesn't work too often, but when it does, it is the most fun you can have standing up!

 

[noclue]

Alright guy's, slowly figuring things out here. I was fishing the Mahoopany creek on my fathers farm this weekend and seen a caddis hatch around dusk. It looked like a mass exodus of moths flying over my head. Also seen a spinner fall of what I think may have been gray fox. Caught no fish and seen no fish rising. beaver scared the crap out of me when he slapped his tail on the water 10 ft behind me. Resorted to fishing for wild brookies up in the game lands and managed to catch around a dozen over a few hours. Caught them on a light cahill. Thank you for all your help starting to catch fish they are small but they are fish.

 

[osprey]

noclue , don't neglect to use those caddis up there after those brookies either , a light cahill right now is a good bet too but when they don't work tie one of those caddis on up there.

 

[Brownout]

When you don't see fish on the surface, they are usually not eating or nymphing. In my opinion, one of the most neglected aspects of caddis fishing is that people fish too large a Caddis. There are Caddis in sizes 16-20 that come out all the time, but most generic sportsman's stores have them in only larger sizes, such as 12s and 14s. And when the fish see them this big, they immediately know something is not right. Caddis emergers are deadly little flies, and the best working model for me involves a nice tuft of CDC feathers right at the top of the body. Pick up some CDC feathers, get a cheap vise, and some good hooks and tie some of those buggers up.

It is not hard at all, it can be very easy. Don't get suckered into buying 100s of material from a shop, fly fishing can be much cheaper than bait fishing. Ask away if need be.

 

[KillerFlyz]

If caddis are coming off and you don't see fish rising get some emerger patterns and some caddis larva patterns. You could also fish a tandem rig with a traditional caddis on top and an emerger pattern below. I read a book long ago that said trout don't get big by coming to the surface to feed when there are easy pickings below. That simple phrase changed they way I looked at things a bit and has served me well.

 

[BrookieBuster101]

I agree with Brownout. If any of you guys are familiar with the allenberry access on the breeches, above the dam, there was a caddis hatch but they were so tiny, with what i had at the time (16 elk hair caddis) i had few strikes. Since i was staying at the resort at the time, that evening i tied up some size 18 and 20 caddis imitations. The following day i fished the size 18 caddis in the same spot as the previous night with much more success but not nearly as much as i would have liked. So i tied on my size 20s and i begin slaying them!!! This was the ticket! before this time i was always skeptical over whether one hook size down REALLY made much of a difference. When in doubt go smaller. it is tougher to see ur fly but in time you will find your self with more fish in the net!!!

 

[GreenWeenie]

Tom Said:

“I use a caddis when there is nothing else obvious. They are trout candy.”

That pretty much sums it up perfectly.

Most streams have caddis hatches that happen year round. They may not be blizzard-like and bring every fish in the stream to the surface but they occur with enough regularity that I’m convinced the trout recognizes a caddis silhouette year round because it used to seeing them year round. I’ve found smaller caddis flies (#18) to make good searching patterns.

Also, fish an elk hair caddis around #14 in the early summer as this fly can do double duty as both a caddis and as a small hopper imitation.

 

[DGC]

In general, splashy rises even if you don't see bugs of any kind around tend to mean caddis pupa emerging. Good time to use a soft hackle or pupa pattern and maybe swing it in front of them. Emergences can be tough to detect unless it is a major event such as the grannoms. After emergence they head for shore pretty quick and don't hang around over the water floating slowly upward like mayflies do.

If you see groups flying over your head or fluttering around over the water, those are either mating flights or egg layers, though emergence could be taking place at the same time. Mating flights and egg laying is a good time to use dry patterns.

When in doubt just use a tandem of dry and soft hackle.

Just mho.