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WdyCoachmen

Beadhead Caddis

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For variation you could always add a turn or two of hen. But it looks good as is too. Have any 3/32 beads, if so give it a whirl !

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It's only too big if it sinks too fast.

The fish aren't that picky.

Ya know something Mike ( how would you, I've never said it before, oh well) ? With that style Caddis I've way out fished bead heads with weighted shanks instead. With one exception, one with a black tungsten bead. Now the question, why ? I always attributed it to the gold bead being a turn off. I bet you just hit on it though, in reverse, weighted shanks sink and tungsten sinks. Somehow , some way, I never thought of it like that. I bet all my gold bead head caddis never sank enough. And ya know, that style I fish one way, then change to emergers for in the surface. Thanks Mike !! Tea going on here, I need to ponder this a bit. I think I want more sizes of tungsten beads, covered weighted shanks are not allowed in Maine rivers, any weight has to be not lead and visible. Ooooh !

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Sometimes, it's all about getting DOWN to the fish. I am more fortunate (Or not, depending on your perspective) that the waters I fish aren't that fast, and getting my fly down is just a matter of "waiting" ... not "weighting".

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Sometimes, it's all about getting DOWN to the fish. I am more fortunate (Or not, depending on your perspective) that the waters I fish aren't that fast, and getting my fly down is just a matter of "waiting" ... not "weighting".

Absolutely, it somehow just never dawned on me that maybe the gold beads weren't doing it and blaming the pattern change. Those weighted caddis did have a certain look after all. But if I can get the right tungsten beads that might do it. I think copper ones, a couple of different sizes.

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I always thought the head attracted the fish. Personally, I didn't really think about the automatic "fake," given to the fish.

I like the discussion and will acquire some black heads to mimic the caddis better. Thanks!

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Dave Hughes, who might know a thing or two about Caddis, had a great article in the Summer 2005, Issue of Flyfishing & Tying Journal (ppgs. 46-49), Titled "Minor Notes on Net Spinning Caddis Larvae". It covered Parapsyche, Arctopsyche, Hydropsyche and Cheumatopsyche. All could be adequately covered by having a selection of Cream, Tan and Apple green ( the stuff from The Bookmailer) twisted Antron abdomens with a thorax of Fox or Pine Squirrel fur with guard hairs, in sizes #6 - #18. All were tied using Gold or brass beads

 

 

PT/TB

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Dave Hughes, who might know a thing or two about Caddis, had a great article in the Summer 2005, Issue of Flyfishing & Tying Journal (ppgs. 46-49), Titled "Minor Notes on Net Spinning Caddis Larvae". It covered Parapsyche, Arctopsyche, Hydropsyche and Cheumatopsyche. All could be adequately covered by having a selection of Cream, Tan and Apple green ( the stuff from The Bookmailer) twisted Antron abdomens with a thorax of Fox or Pine Squirrel fur with guard hairs, in sizes #6 - #18. All were tied using Gold or brass beads

 

 

PT/TB

I got some green antron and tried that as body material at one point. Never caught a thing on them. No they really liked that rabbit body pupa I used to tie in olive with tan thorax with a few guard hairs plucked out. This thread interests me because caddis pupa and emergers is something I was targeting this winter for tying, trying to resolve this lead weight issue and get another pattern going that works as good as my old one once did. Laws ya know, don't need a fine because I was fishing with weight in my nymph, heaven forbid being such a criminal as that. But the Maine game wardens are very serious individuals.

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your gold bead green caddis looks just fine but on the next ones you tie, add a little more dubbing or peacock herl directly behind the bead

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Most caddis experts tie the Rhyacophila caddis larva with a dark head/thorax. My opinion is that for Rhyacophila bead head pupa patterns, one should tie some with dark beads.

 

Gary LaFountaine is the fly tier most associated with the study of caddis. Gary LaFountaine ties his Rhyacophila bright green caddis larva with dark brown olive fur for the thorax. See pg 30-31 of Caddisflies by Gary LaFountaine below:

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZNhZbpS2apYC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=gary+Lafontaine+Rhyacophila+caddis+larva&source=bl&ots=LdKkXDHCwr&sig=q4DUAzKftfr2aJdLtzLUXIsMchc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj90uC_mMPKAhVomoMKHVIrDV4Q6AEIQzAI#v=onepage&q=gary%20Lafontaine%20Rhyacophila%20caddis%20larva&f=false

Solomon and Leiser are authors of the second most important book on of caddis insects. In The Caddis and the Angler, they tie their green latex Rhyacophila larva with a dark peacock herl head. See the fly photos at the end of the pdf below:

http://www.fishinggarner.com/m2013/the_caddis_and_the_angler.pdf

Craig Mathews ties the Rhyacophila larva with a black head.

https://www.blue-ribbon-flies.com/blog/category/biology/

”For a larvae pattern have a #14-#16 bright green antron dubbing for the abdomen with a turn of two of starling for the legs and a black dubbed head. The dubbing should be wound over a foundation of lead wire.”

http://globalflyfisher.com/video/rhyacophila-caddis-larva-0

Rick Hafele is a co-author with Dave Hughes. His book has 3 bead head patterns for the Rhyacophila larva. One pattern has a gold bead and the other 2 have black beads. The Gold bead head crystal flash pattern is his favorite pattern.

https://books.google.com/books?id=YanBEVAOjuYC&pg=PA133&lpg=PA133&dq=David+hughes+Rhyacophila+caddis+larva&source=bl&ots=vngxUm76t0&sig=7pFYaiwM5hGNPDUtG_DFEUrmp1I&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjN1oaSpMPKAhWMlIMKHf-jA60Q6AEIOjAF#v=onepage&q=David%20hughes%20Rhyacophila%20caddis%20larva&f=false

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