FISHING THE CADDIS HATCH
I'm going to pass out some pointers on how to fish a caddis hatch during each stage of the hatch and what pattern types the angler/tier will need.
Stages of Imitation for the Fly Tier
There are three basic stages of the caddis life cycle that the tier must prepare for if he/she is going to have the proper patterns to imitate the caddis life cycle properly. They are: nymphs, pupas, and adults. Within the three basic stages there are nine pattern types which the angler/tier will want to stock in his/her fly boxes. They are:
1. Nymphs
Cased caddis
Free living caddis worms
2. Pupas
Deep caddis pupa
Emergent caddis pupa
3. Adults
Crippled
Fluttering
Spent
Diving
At rest
Caddis are found in various sizes and colors but I have found that with a few basic patterns I can cover most of the caddis hatches in the area. Seldom do I find the trout super selective to color during a major caddis hatch. Generally, if the size and silhouette are close and the presentation is rights then I have no major trouble taking trout during a caddis hatch.
However, like everything else, this is not to say that trout never become selective during a caddis hatch and that they are always easy. There are times when everything must be right or it's no go!!!
The best all-around advice I can give you is to be observant and creative. Don't get stuck in a rut, and never base decisions on assumed ideas or hearsay. Just about the time you think you have the trout and the caddis hatches all figured out, they'll throw you a curve and knock all your theories into left field. I once heard someone say, "All statements and theories regarding trout and fly fishing tend to be false at one time or another." This is very true. Anglers who are rigid in their thinking often find it hard to solve a problem that defies the normal truths!!!
There is no doubt in my mind that the activity surrounding a caddis emergence will not only control what the trout feed on, but how, when, and where they feed. Therefore, knowledge of this activity will play a major role in what methods the angler will use and the patterns that are selected. Because of the variety of species and the various hatching cycles of the individual species, there are always cased caddis nymphs and free-living caddis larvae available to the trout on the Yellowstone River most of the year. (This is also true of the Madison, Gallatin, and many of the other area streams.) I have found nymph patterns to be excellent searching patterns and can be used throughout the year. I have also found that nymphal patterns will produce excellent results in riffle type water in the morning hours before the hatch.
Much has been written about the speed of the emerging caddis pupa. The speed with which the caddis pupa rises to the surface during the emergence varies between species. But the idea that the caddis blasts loose from the bottom and takes off like a guided missile is indeed silly. Consider this, stomach samplings have shown that the trout feed heavily on the emerging pupa. Now, how could the trout capture such a speed demon?? Secondly, what does this do to the accepted theory that trout feed on the most abundant and easiest to capture available food form? Remember the trout's survival is based on energy spent versus energy ingested!! Just think of the energy used for a trout to capture the missile like caddis pupa!! Chuckle, it's almost funny when you think about it and I'm sure that someone skilled in cartoon drawing could make it very funny indeed!! Therefore, we must rethink the theories on trout survival and behavior or assume that the caddis pupa missile theory is indeed off base.
My own observation and studies have shown me that caddis pupa do not rise off the bottom like a missile. This observation is reinforced by findings of Gary LaFontaine in his excellent book Caddisflies.
"Most anglers seem to recognize the peak of the caddis hatch when it happens. Though often they are ill prepared for it and find themselves frustrated and maybe even fishless."
The key to improving your skills as a caddis angler is observation and knowledge of both the insect and the trout. One must learn to start looking for the hatch. (Knowledge of expected hatches and dates is most helpful.) Once you have determined that the hatch has started, you then can begin to fish hours before the actual emergence and the appearance of other anglers. Often times the "pre-hatch" fishing can be better and produce larger trout than fishing right during the peak of the hatch.
PRE‑HATCH CADDIS ACTION
Hours before the peak of the hatch, a few caddis will start emerging. These first early risers are often ignored or missed by both the trout and the angler. This may be due to the limited numbers of emergers or the trout may be feeding on another food form. The angler often misses these early emergers due to a lack of observation. But as the numbers of emerging pupa increase, the trout will become keyed in on them. At first the trout is feeding close to the bottom where the greatest number of emerging pupa are noticed as they break free and begin their rise to the surface.
This ascent to the surface is gradual as the pupa drifts along at the mercy of the currents. Keen observation over a long period of time has disclosed that during the pupas rise to the surface there are several definite periods of hesitation where the ascent is halted and the pupa is at the mercy of the currents and appears to be struggling inside the pupal shuck. During these hesitation periods the pupa are most vulnerable and the trout feed on them quite heavily.
During this time, I like to fish a deep pupa imitation, which I will bounce along the bottom, often times imparting just a touch of movement to imitate the pupa struggling inside the shuck.
Trout will feed on these drifting, struggling pupas for hours before the main hatch and for the angler standing on the banks of the stream it would appear that nothing was happening and that the trout and the insects were still in a state of inaction. This is the time that the knowledgeable caddis angler will anticipate. Therefore taking advantage of an excellent angling opportunity and often time having the river all to one's self.
During this period of deep feeding activity the angler will also have a better chance of taking a few larger trout, which are more inclined to feed in the deeper water where they feel more secure from natural enemies.
AS THE MAIN HATCH DRAWS CLOSER
During this period the observant angler will notice an increase in the numbers of emerging caddis. Generally the adult caddis will not ride on top of the water for long distances after hatching, unless the air temperature has dropped and the day is damp. However, the emerging pupa will normally ride long distances in the surface film while struggling to escape the pupal shuck.
At this time the caddis is half on top and half just under the film and is very vulnerable. During this time period trout will prey on the caddis with wild abandon. During this period I have found Soft Hackles, LaFontaine's Sparkle Emergers, Travis K‑Flash Caddis and Sparkle Caddis Adults to be very effective.
I will grease my leader and sometimes the head of the imitation and fish these patterns half in and half on top of the film. I will employ what I call the Dead Drift Struggle, by fishing the imitation upstream in a dead drift presentation and then using the rod tip to employ subtle movement to the fly to imitate the pupa struggling to break free. Often I will fish right through the peak of the hatch using various emergers and cripples.
Many times anglers switch to dry flies as the peak of the hatch occurs. This is because they see trout slashing and rolling on the surface, little realizing that the trout are feeding on emergers and not on adults. Sure you can take fish on dries during this time period, but you will take a lot more trout on emergers.
Dry flies such as Elk Hair Caddis, Goddard Caddis, & Travis Foamhead Skittering Caddis often work best after the hatch or during the early afternoons as a searching pattern. There is also a time period during the mating flights and egg laying flights that dries and diving caddis imitations can be most effective.
AS THE HATCH FADES
As the hatch fades I will often times move to an area that offers me a backwater or foam pool to fish. These areas tend to collect the stillborns, drowned adults and crippled caddis. During this time period the trout can be very selective to the type, size, shape and color of the insect they are feeding on and the angler must carefully observe what the trout are doing and may in fact, have to treat each trout as an individual.
Remember, given a choice of several different food forms that are available in reasonable numbers, there is no law that says all trout must feed on the same insect. After selecting the proper imitation the angler must then be able to present it to the trout in an acceptable manner.
Often anglers head for home after the peak of the hatch is past, little realizing that they are indeed leaving some excellent angling. Generally the decision is based on "Well, I don't see any surface activity, therefore the hatch and fishing must be over." Nothing could be further from the truth. The trout will collect in the foam pools and back eddies and continue to feed on these easy to capture forms of caddis.
EGG LAYING FLIGHTS
On the Yellowstone and many of the rivers in the area there are three main methods that the caddis uses to lay their eggs.
1. Fluttering over the water and dipping the abdomen.
2. At rest or spent on the water.
3. Diving to the bottom of the stream.
This is the time period that certain dry fly patterns can be deadly, if the angler is observant and realizes what is going on. However, few anglers use or know about diving caddis patterns. Many of the caddis species in the area dive to the bottom of the stream to lay their eggs. Seldom do they make it back to the surface. The diving caddis imitation fished with a split shot right on the nose of the fly (or tied bead head style) can be deadly. I will fish these patterns upstream and impart some action to the fly. The takes are often very aggressive as the trout is chasing something that swims. As the egg laying flight tapers off I then switch and fish the patterns using a slightly up and across stream cast and employ the Leisenring Lift.
The reason behind using the lift is simple. After the insect dives and lays the eggs on the bottom, it then dies or tries to return to the surface, but mainly is subjected to the whims of the current which will move it up and down in the water. Over the years I have found that the diving caddis pattern accounts for most of the larger trout taken during this egg lying time period.
CLOSING
Caddis fishing is fun and exciting, and offers the angler fishing for a large part of the season. The keys to being a successful caddis angler are few. Be observant and be willing to try new patterns and methods. Gain knowledge of the hatches and the hatching times on the streams you will be fishing. Remember that there is no super pattern that always works nor is there any secret method that always works! The keys are observation, an open mind and a quest for knowledge.
I hope that in some small way I have helped to increase your understanding of caddis hatches and how to fish them. But most of all remember -- Trout fishing is fun!!!