They were all over me. October Caddis that is! This is a true event on autumn trout streams especially on the fertile freestones that we like to fish like the Millers. This orange/brownish caddis can fill the air but it can also disappoint if you don't know it's life cycle. This insect is not going to rise through the water column followed by slashing trout most of the time. It prefers to hatch on the shore and then fly away. Maybe that's why the Partridge and Orange is so good around now.
Are there dry fly opportunities with this insect? Yes, but it will come with the end of the mating swarm near evening when most fly guys decide to pack it up. The above fly works because it looks like a spent insect and incorporates the materials to achieve that look.
Hook - size 14 standard dry
Body - orange/brown rabbit dubbing
Wing - clump of orange/brown hen hackle fibers (an underwing of CDC will work to float the fly longer
Hackle - brown grizzly size 14-16
Head - brown rabbit dubbing
One can fish this fly dry and then wet. It works both ways.
Speaking of the Millers - It seems that some are a bit disappointed in the Fall fishing on this river and that is because this river got an adequate stocking of browns (and some bows) this October and not the avalanche of big bows that it got last October. Stocking the river 3 TIMES IN ONE WEEK last October sets expectations high with 30 fish days being expected. The reality now is that you have to work for your fish instead of just chucking a nymph into a school of stocked bows. The browns are different and they got a dose of rain that put another 100 cfs into the mix right after they were stocked. They are not waiting for you. You have to find them. Go get them and bring your soft hackles with you.
And The Ware - This river, so totally overlooked by the fly fishing community, has been hot as of late. It got some bows in early October but we've been taking browns in the mix which means this river has holdover fish!! One thinks that the Ware is a warm water stream but it's been cooler than the Millers and the EB over that last month with water temperatures in the low to mid 60's. Find an undercut bank, slowly drift a SH or a generic nymph through the deepest parts and you may be rewarded. We were yesterday!!!
Ken
11 comments:
Thanks for the post. I fished the millers on Saturday through a mini hatch. Lots of chub on dry flies and two browns for me. No adult flies were visible so I was not sure what was happening. Now I am more educated. I found a dry 14 wulff worked better than a P&O but the takes were very aggressive with a lot of missed fish. Would have thought the soft hackle would have won....
C&R
C&R,
Backcast one week ago to the Kempfield Pool where there were a few rising fish but not many. I had my client put on a size 16 pheasant tail and had him drift it slow and deep. He immediately hooked a bow. An old guy (80's) did the same thing and hooked a monster bow. My guess is that they were intercepting nymphs on the way up.
Ken
Ken Thanks. I had the brookies going nuts over a similar fly on Saturday at the Swift. The flow was up and the parking lot was full at the Pipe. I went about a 1/2 mile downstream from the tree pool not quite to Cady Lane. fun but no big brookies and only spotted a few bows hunkered down low.
can you give me a clue (more specific than a general clue) As to Where on the Ware a first timer would go?? Thanks
Hey Ken, I fished the Millers on Saturday near Pete and Henry's. Took 2 browns and one brookie with a huge smattering of creek chubs. The brookie and I believe one of the browns were holdovers. The fishing was as tough as it's ever been in that section. Low flows and less stocking will do that. We need rain pronto!
Ken,
I hit the EB last Wednesday. I tried a new spot that I had never been to. It was a little bit of a hike but I connected with two nice bows. I was throwing big streamers so maybe those holdovers are spending energy on some meat flies instead of those little soft hackles. The water was still quite low even after the rain. I also got 2 on the WB on the way home. Again very low but same techniques were working.
-Pat
Quinneyfish,
Here's a hint: Go to Church
Ashutosh,
"The brookie and I believe one of the browns were holdovers". Hmm... the brookie should know. Anyway, glad you got them!!!
Pat,
I think I know that place because it is a hike to get to. It's been soft hackle heaven and size 20 dries in August/early September this year. REALLY glad about the WB news. It's been two months since I've been there. So much water, so little time!!!
Ken
Hit the Squannacook and Nissitissit Sunday. Rainbows wanted the Grouse and Orange SH, and an October Caddis SH. Had to get down through the leaves and the pine needles. A few fish feeding on emergers but couldn't get a good drift with BWO emerger with all of the surface leaves.
Nice to finally meet you a few weeks ago after fishing the Trestle. Thanks again for the blog.
Peter
Peter,
Pine needles ruined the afternoon on the Swift. It's that time of year I guess.
Glad that you like the blog!!!
Ken
Ken,
I agree the pine needles did ruin the Swift Sunday! Went back up to the Ware caught a few more bows, and that brown made another appearance and couldn’t land him again! Thanks again.
Phil
Ken,
As always, an excellent and informative post. I'm looking at your fly thinking it looks familiar and realize it looks a lot like an old school "picket pin" wet fly but in lighter colors. You mentioned in one of your earlier posts that you were going to start offering some of your flies for sale in your "new" occupation as a fly-fishing guide and tyer. Any idea how long before you will have some flies available for purchase?
Andrew,
Start thinking around the end of the year before I hang the "FLIES FOR SALE" sign on this blog. Flies for the Swift, Flies for the EB and Flies for the Millers. No imports here - all tied by ME and used by me and no day glow Martian attractor flies but the real thing that works after the stocking trucks have left!!!!
Pickett Pin - no squirrel wing or palmered hackle on this. Just the built up "head".
Ken
Post a Comment