MICRO CADDIS

[pspaint]

I've been trying to find a good pattern/presentation for these little suckers for several years and so far, i've come up flat. I've tried cdc, cdc and elk, micro elk hairs etc. I've tried dead drifting, skittering, rapid fire casts etc., and have been able to move some fish but nothing I would consider truly effective. I'm not sure if it's the patterns or presenations or both. Has anyone fished these hatches, and if so, have you ahd any success?

[ny angler]

soft hackles
or a diving caddis tied micro


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The more time I spend around people the more I like my dog.

Mike

[pspaint]

NYAngler, Have you had any success up top with any patterns?

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

What sizes are you using? Have you tried a Griffith's Gnat size 18 or 20? I've found that Whickam's Fancy works well for some larger caddis, so I was thinking perhaps a smaller palmered dry might work for you.

You could also try the following pattern, which I call a "little emerger".

Hook: size 14-18 (light wire dry fly)\
thread: black 8/0
tail: white hackle fibers
body: dubbed olive rabbit fur
thorax: dubbed gray rabbit fur
wing : white elk hair "roots" cut fairly short (a bit longer than a serindipity wing) sticking more towards the vertical than the horizontal.

The idea is for the fly to hang suspended in the surface film being held up by the wing only, so waterproof the wing only. It needs to be presented very lightly, and in flat water. I admit it will waterlog after awhile, so this is for use only when a rising fish has been sighted rather than as a searching pattern. I've taken fish with this when they are feeding on caddis in the size 16 range. Perhaps one in the smaller size?

- Jeff

[pspaint]

Hey Jeff, that sounds like a good pattern. I'll give 'er a try when they start emerging. Are you tying the wing in tips forward or tips back?
These micros are ridiculously small. On average, the body length is around a 24-26, with a wing twice that length. In the evenings the little blacks swarm in the back eddies and softer waters and the fish pound the crap out of them. I'm not sure if its the patterns or presentations, or both that i'm lacking in.

[JeffHamm]

Hi pspaint,

I usually hold by the tips and tie in holding the tips in front of the eye, tying in just in front of the thorax so they stand up against it when I tighten the thread down. A "controlled flair" is the best description I can think of because the hair should fan out a bit, but not too much. Anyway, the tips over the eye get cut off and the forward ends are covered by a small head. I find it's much easier to tie the wing in so it is originally too long, then trim it back to the desired length.

I've used olive floss on the abdomen with a rib of black tying thread, and that works also.

However, from what you've described, the clustering of small black swarms, etc, then I would go with the Griffith's Gnat. Interestingly, something very similar to the Griffith's Gnat was more or less described by Pritt in his 1800s book "North Country Flies" (small hurl with palmered hackle). Pritt lamented the problem of what to do when the trout keyed in on the small black gnat clusters. His "fly" was something like a Griffiths Gnat You could try a size 20 or 22 hook with just a few wraps of osterich or peacock hurl or black seal fur.

[ny angler]

On top ????? Succses???? me ???? Im like the 40 year old virgen I aint never had success...

[RonMT]

I tie a pattern for the local spring creeks and river that is both a Micro Caddis or a Midge. It is an easy tie and can be done to the colors you like. All there is to it is the right color of Flash-A-Boo and a wing of CDC of the right color and Two turns of hackle of the right color. Real easy but it works well for both. I sometimes trim the hackle flat on the bottom to make it float low. I found that you don't have to get to fancy to do a good job on both of these types of flies. Ron

Hook- #18 - #28

Body- Flash-A-Boo of the proper color. You can also mark it with a Magic Marker of the right color.

Wing- CDC of the proper color

Hackle- To color.

These are very fast ties. Just wrap the Flah up the hook and tie it off. Take two CDC feathers and match the tip's up. Gather them and lay them on the hook shank with the tip's facing rearward and to the bend of the hook. Tie in as anyother caddis wing. Now tie in the hackle and take two wraps and finish the head and you are done. Easy.

[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 12 July 2006).]

[pspaint]

Thanks for all the responses!
NYAngler, that's too funny!
Jeff, i've used the Griffith's Gnats quite a bit for the slightly larger flies and had a lot of success with it. When it comes to these little suckers, the gnat's don't seem to work. I've run them as small as a 22 and still nothing. I'm gonna give that little emerger a try.
Ron, sounds like a good pattern. What type of presentation do you use for them? I've tried dead drifting, skittering etc., I've been reading LaFontaine's book, and that has given me some presenatation ideas.

[RonMT]

I do "What we call out here" Force feeding them. I cast across and down to the fish and will skate the fly into the feeding lane then drop slack in the line to get a drag free float. This is all done about two feet above the fish and then the fly is left to drift to the fish in it's feeding lane. You can get the fly in the fishes feeding lane the first time, just about everytime, doing it this way. The only reason besides having the wrong fly on that the fish will not take your fly is do to the timing of your drift over the fish. You have to get the right timing.

Gary's book is a good one. Ron