Caddis Emerger

Recommended Flies - Tabou Caddis, Curved Chartreuse Copper John

There is something magical about caddis pupa and I am always excited when I find them: and fish are too. Pupa are found in the drift sometimes hours before the main hatch and provide  trout with an abundance of food that most fisherman never see. The pupa drift along the bottom, building up oxygen in their pupal shuck before they rise and hatch. This drifting behavior makes them vulnerable to trout, and emerger imitations drifted along the bottom can make for a very productive day.

After they have built up enough air bubbles, they rise to the surface where they encounter the surface film of the water, creating a second opportunity for trout to easily pick them off as they struggle to break free. Once free of their case, the fully formed adult quickly flies away. It is important to remember though that the emerging caddis still has a moment of hesitation before it breaks free, making it an easy meal. Often, fisherman think that trout are hitting the adults on the water and get frustrated when rising fish constantly refuse their fly. In this situation, the trout may be eating the venerable emergers, not the quickly escaping adults

A pupa still in its cocoon

Picking Confidence Patterns:

Look for shaggy patterns that represent all the action that these flies have and has something to imitate the air bubble that these guys collect so they can rise to the surface