Caddis Pupae for a frustrated angler

[Wabusk 0]

First of all let me say this seems like an amazing forum and ive spent the last week reading all the wonderful posts with amazing flies and great tips. I decided to join to offer whatever advice I could and hopefully learn a bit a long the way as well. I have been flyfishing and tying for about 10 years off and on depending on where Ive been living, but now that I am back on my home waters It seems I have the bug all over again.

 

I fish a well known tailwater in Canada which is LOADED with caddis flies and ive had a ton of success using different larva patterns, emergers like klinkhammers and of course the famous elk hair caddis.

 

My problem comes when the trout (often the largest ones in the pool) key in on swimming pupa and im sure its pupa they are eating for its usually only a splash of the tail on the surface which gives away their position. Ive seen large trout which almost seem to charge through the water to engulf these swimmng pupae while the smaller fish continue chasing the adults.

 

Ive caught a few smaller fish swinging Nori's pupa but had very limited results using pupae patterns. Can anyone enlighten me on successful presentation techniques and a recommended fly pattern or two so i can stalk up for the spring where im sure this scenario will play out again.

 

Cheers

[fiShawn 0]

I have been posed with similar situations on the east coast of the US. One great easy pattern I would use would be a sparkle pupa, basically make a z-lon or antron yarn tail (for the shuck) and using the same material, tie in one section each on the top and the bottom of the fly (same thickness as tail) and pull the yarn forward to cover the hook shank, top off with a wing made of stripped hackle fibers (not too thin or thick) Length of the wing isn't critical b/c it is an emerging pattern after all. Fish this solitary or in conjuction with the adult. When fishing with the adult pattern, don't let your flies ride on top, rather pull the flies under the surface and use a swing and pause technique. My definition of swing and pause is to swing the fly, but make short tugs on the line to mimic the swimming pupa's movement, the fly will have short rapid bursts mixed with brief pauses that can make the difference when regularly dead drifted flies are ignored. Another seemingly rookie but very effective technique is, after your fly has come to the end of the drift, and is hanging down river, let out all the slack you have and slowly work the fly back up river toward you. This will keep your line very high in the water column, as well as the fly. Again use the short pull, pause technique or vary it with 6"-18"pulls, sometimes keeping the fly in one spot for 45 sec. or more before pulling forward again. These techniques can be very very effective for every fly I use.....the swing technique more so with dry flies like wulffs, mayflies and caddis and the up river technique for all streamers and wet flies. They seem like very unconventional approaches, but they really do work.....This was partly discovered by getting fish to bite while walking from spot to spot while having my line down river (taught) They tend to work better in current, usually at the tops of pools but have had success even in still water with these methods.

[flyfishing99 0]

First of all let me say this seems like an amazing forum and ive spent the last week reading all the wonderful posts with amazing flies and great tips. I decided to join to offer whatever advice I could and hopefully learn a bit a long the way as well. I have been flyfishing and tying for about 10 years off and on depending on where Ive been living, but now that I am back on my home waters It seems I have the bug all over again.

 

I fish a well known tailwater in Canada which is LOADED with caddis flies and ive had a ton of success using different larva patterns, emergers like klinkhammers and of course the famous elk hair caddis.

 

My problem comes when the trout (often the largest ones in the pool) key in on swimming pupa and im sure its pupa they are eating for its usually only a splash of the tail on the surface which gives away their position. Ive seen large trout which almost seem to charge through the water to engulf these swimmng pupae while the smaller fish continue chasing the adults.

 

Ive caught a few smaller fish swinging Nori's pupa but had very limited results using pupae patterns. Can anyone enlighten me on successful presentation techniques and a recommended fly pattern or two so i can stalk up for the spring where im sure this scenario will play out again.

 

Cheers

 

I would ask you to try my soft hackle. It has worked like magic for me for many years. I have posted a photo under this post actually

[Mr. Vegas 0]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!!

[JRG 0]

I've developed a great pattern but I'm not sure if I'm willing to share at this point as I'm thinking about maybe trying to commercialize it but it works great on the swing. There's a lot of effective pupa patterns out there though.

[fairwxflyfish 0]

Western Canada or Eastern?

 

SWAB or Calgary?

 

 

First of all let me say this seems like an amazing forum and ive spent the last week reading all the wonderful posts with amazing flies and great tips. I decided to join to offer whatever advice I could and hopefully learn a bit a long the way as well. I have been flyfishing and tying for about 10 years off and on depending on where Ive been living, but now that I am back on my home waters It seems I have the bug all over again.

 

I fish a well known tailwater in Canada which is LOADED with caddis flies and ive had a ton of success using different larva patterns, emergers like klinkhammers and of course the famous elk hair caddis.

 

My problem comes when the trout (often the largest ones in the pool) key in on swimming pupa and im sure its pupa they are eating for its usually only a splash of the tail on the surface which gives away their position. Ive seen large trout which almost seem to charge through the water to engulf these swimmng pupae while the smaller fish continue chasing the adults.

 

Ive caught a few smaller fish swinging Nori's pupa but had very limited results using pupae patterns. Can anyone enlighten me on successful presentation techniques and a recommended fly pattern or two so i can stalk up for the spring where im sure this scenario will play out again.

 

Cheers

 

[Wabusk 0]

Wow some great replies so far!!!

 

flshawn - Im going to tie up some of those antron pupae. I have seen versions like this before but have yet to tie any up. The round like shape of the abdomen in lafontaines caddis pupa always looked sort of unatural to me but im going to give it a shot next year. Thanks for the advice.

 

flyfishing99 - Love the soft hackle tie. Ill have to give it a shot.

 

fairwxflyfish - Sorry bud. Im from the Toronto Area

 

 

[fairwxflyfish 0]

Wow some great replies so far!!!

 

flshawn - Im going to tie up some of those antron pupae. I have seen versions like this before but have yet to tie any up. The round like shape of the abdomen in lafontaines caddis pupa always looked sort of unatural to me but im going to give it a shot next year. Thanks for the advice.

 

flyfishing99 - Love the soft hackle tie. Ill have to give it a shot.

 

fairwxflyfish - Sorry bud. Im from the Toronto Area

 

OK then I can tell you the secret Tailwater flyies!!!!!! :headbang:

 

Barrs Graphic emerger, works great here in the oldman river tailwaters, and some of the Tailwaters south of there, I am not allowed to name..

 

[Wabusk 0]

A many thanks to all the replies, really all greatly appreciated.

 

fairwxflyfish, I spent a few hours tying up some graphic pupa as I fell in love with it the moment I saw the fly. I decided to add some dark wing pads after looking at countless pics of the naturals this weekend.

 

The first photo is a graphic pupa and the second an interesting pupa pattern I found which has a glo bug yarn "sheath" for translucency. I filled a few rows in my box with green, olive and amber patterns in size 14-16. I cant wait to try them out this spring.

 

Graphic Pupa

 

Other Pupa

[Mr. Vegas 0]

very very nice ties buddy!!!

[boynabubble 0]

I would have to second the graphic caddis and lafontaine's sparkle pupa. I had some great days this past summer swinging both behind an EHC or Streaking Caddis.

[gaffer 0]

OK then I can tell you the secret Tailwater flyies!!!!!! :headbang:

 

Barrs Graphic emerger, works great here in the oldman river tailwaters, and some of the Tailwaters south of there, I am not allowed to name..

 

Secret Oldman tailwater flies noted.

 

 

Another nice one is is this one by Dave McPhail

McPhail Emerger

 

Andrew