R U Experienced Caddis Pupa
December 9, 2009 by admin
Filed under Featured Flies, Nymphs
RU Experienced Caddis Pupa by Chris Gates
Hook: TMC 2457 Size 16 or similar style hook
Bead: 7/64 Nickel Bead
Body: Ice Dub I use Caddis Green and Olive. Sometimes I substitute Prism Dub in Brown Olive if I want to make a brown caddis pupa Prism and Ice Dub are comparable products
Overbody: UTC Clear Vinyl Rib Size Midge
Hatching Wing: Deer hair
Overwing: Rainbow Color Crystal flash
Collar: Peacock Ice Dub
Pattern Description: The RU Experienced Caddis Pupa like many that I tie comes from mixing different patterns that I think are effective and developing a new and original pattern. I am not a creative person by nature so this is how I come up with a lot of patterns. Basically I steal aspects of the best tyers and try to come up with something new. I thought of this fly a couple years back after seeing Bob Jacklin tie his Little Green Rock Worm, a simple pattern that is effective in imitating Caddis Larva. This fly, although similar to Jacklin’s, is meant to imitate the pupa stage of a caddis rather than the larva. Gary LaFontaine’s famous Sparkle Pupa flies was the idea behind the aggressive taper in the body, big wing, and collar. I wanted the fly to look like it was breaking apart similar to the pupal shuck of a caddis as it floats to the top of the water uncontrollably because of the air build up under the shuck.
The fly was actually first fished by a good friend Jeff Trigg on the White River in Arkansas. I wasn’t the first guy to fish my own fly. I gave Jeff 4 or 5 flies and he had a wonderful afternoon fishing the Caddis Green color during a Rhyacophila hatch. After his initial report back to me I knew I was on to a good pattern. This fly has worked very well for me on the North Fork of the White in Missouri when fished underneath a big fly such as a Pat’s Rubberleg. Finally Ryan Mueller another good fishing buddy has taken the fly to the spring creeks in the Driftless Region of Minnesota and has reported great success. This is an all around good Caddis pattern that seems to be most effective when there is an active Caddis Emergence, after all this is what the fly was developed to imitate.
I have been known to take a few flies out of Chris’s box when he is not looking and my fishing instinct immediately attracted me to this one. Have had great success with this fly! Thanks for taking a bathroom break Chris! Now you know how I outfished you that day on the North Fork of the White.
While not claiming “2 B experienced”, I had great success using the brown/amber color caddis pattern Chris describes above. I hesitate using the effective patterns Chris ties these days since the payback in “on-stream chatter” is typically pretty steep. The secret to his now prolific tying comes from several months laid-up in a shoulder sling and a semi-pro stint while no realistic fishing opportunities were in sight. I am glad to see Chris chose the high road of tying “real” flies instead of whipping out dozens of trout park fav’s like the golf-glove shammy worm, rptf’s, various omelette patterns and the like.