Notice to all Anglers:
You now have some knowledge of Caddisflies and have learned but maybe not practiced the lessons taught. By understanding the life cycle of an insect you can use this knowledge to catch more fish. There are times during the insect's life cycle that make it attractive to feeding fish. In an area called the Riffle, Caddis will be dislodged by the current and sent downstream in the drift to waiting fish. Fish will spend as much as 75% of it's feeding time devoted to picking insects from the drift.
Remember that during the time the Caddis is trying to rise to the surface, the insect is extremely vulnerable to feeding fish. Many of the emerging caddis is not able to escape the pupal shuck and become a significant source of food for fish. These "cripples" are consumed during the hatch or wash up in collecting areas where they are taken by trout well after the hatch has ended. During the insects several trips to the water during the day for water will also provide feeding opportunities for fish.
*** Most Fly Anglers are unaware of the fact that the Caddis (Sedge) is the third most important food source for trout. As a percentage this food source represents 13% of the total food consumed. The daytime samples show that Caddis (Sedge) represents 8% of the total food consumed but the evening figures show that the same insect represents 19% of the fish's total food consumption. In terms of relative ranking this actually places the Caddis (Sedge) the second most important evening or nighttime food source. Only the fresh water shrimp are more frequently consumed during the low-light conditions of dusk.
*** The Caddis (Sedge) is the one of the last aquatic insects to start hatching in the spring and one of the first to disappear in the fall. This means that during the time they are available to the fish they are one of the primary foods. Yes, from the last week in June until the last weeks of July they are often the main food source for trout.
*** How you present your fly will be determined by the following:
When the Caddis (Sedge) is hatching, just let the fly sit on the surface of the water and wait. While waiting, let the current and winds dictate the imitations travels and always be very mindful of a free-drift and do not retrieve it. When the Sedge (Caddis) is laying eggs you will see it 'skimming' over the waters surface. When you see this skimming or traveling of Caddis (Sedge) is when you need to actually retrieve the Dry Fly (Elk Hair Caddis) at about the same speed as the actual insect. In both these cases the Dry Fly will work better if there is a breeze or slight wind as opposed to perfectly calm wind conditions.
Psilotreta hatches can be one of the most prolific hatches of the Maine summer. Even so, they are not the only kid on the block. If you fail to match the hatching caddises behavior, even if your selection is well chosen, will lead to an early evening of pure frustration. Some species can easily be confused with the Dark Blue Sedge by having a similar size, shape, color and more especially action.
The above caddis is the Spotted Caddis (Hydropsyche) is smaller than the Dark Blue Sedge. Some species of this caddis can be about the same size but the one important difference is the wings. The Spotted Caddises wings are distinctly spotted and their bodies will range from a flat brownish/yellow to cinnamon in color. The female of this species will lay her eggs (oviposit) by laying on the waters surface and undulate her body (quivering caddis) and others will actually enter the water column (diving caddis) and deposit her eggs on the bottom substrate.
To the right is the Short Horned Sedge (Glossosoma) and this species will hatch both in the early spring mornings and once again in the fall. There are also some species of this caddis that will hatch in the late spring evenings. These bugs are much smaller than the Dark Blue Sedge but are roughly the same color. The females have an unusual way of depositing their eggs. This insect will dart or run (Darting Caddis) wildly across the waters surface close to the waters riffled edges (stream-side) and then dive (Diving Caddis) beneath the surface to release her eggs. Remember the one real difference is their size, so if you are using your sized #16 or #18 Dark Blue Sedge and your having no luck, drop down to a size #22 or #24 Dark Blue Sedge and you will be imitating this much smaller caddis.
To the left is Maine's Alder Fly also widely known as the Zebra Caddis. This caddis can hatch almost as prolific as the Dark Blue but are seldom as concentrated making them often less prominent then other caddis species. The wing displays a definite black and tan pattern, i.e. The Zebra Caddis. The one other distinctive feature are the extreme lengths of this insects antennae, which are almost three times the length of this insect. This species will hatch about the same time as the smaller Dark Blue Sedge, so go up at least one hook size to imitate. You might also note that even when the hatching is roughly at the same time, they will seldom ever hatch in the same location as their cousin the Dark Blue Sedge. The females of this species will also rush to the riffles edge and dive beneath the surface to deposit their eggs.
On your right, we have the Green Caddis (Rhyacophila). This species is similar in size, shape and wing pattern to the Spotted Caddis but the obvious difference is the olive green body. This caddis will hatch sporadically from May through early September. The strange egg laying activity results in the female diving below the surface of the waters riffled edges only to release her eggs and then allow herself to become part of the biological drift.
On your immediate left is the Dark Long Horned Sedge (Ceraclea). This is another member of the family known by their extremely long antenna. On this species the antenna are about twice as long as the insect. Ceraclea caddis will hatch just after the Dark Blue Sedge and is just slightly smaller in size. Notice also that the wings have white spots and the insects profile is longer and more slender than the Dark Blue Sedge. This species will also seek the cooler fast waters of the riffles to complete their egg laying duties.
This the last of several patterns offered for your consideration. There are many fine tying manuals out there with hundreds of various caddis patterns to choose from, however, believe me that these are all you need to cover almost each stream situation that may confront you.