It’s October Caddis time in Northern California (you didn’t hear it from us, but the bugs are showing on the Upper Sacramento, though that’s not exactly a guarantee the trout are eating them).
Most anglers already have a favorite October Caddis pattern (I prefer to fish dying caddis patterns after the first frost hits), but if you don’t, this dry fly pattern (found via the excellent Orvisnews.com) looks like a nice, easy tie:
Matt’s October Caddis from Tightline Productions on Vimeo.
If you’re new to the October Caddis hatch, it’s a sizable amber/pumpkin colored caddis that hatches (mostly) late in the evenings. The #8 bugs sometimes crawl out and emerge on the rocks (you’ll see some of the shucks), but they also sometimes pop out of the water, looking like a small, clumsy hummingbird.
Sometimes, fishing the dry right at dark can net you the biggest fish of the day (or the trip). Sometimes, the trout just don’t seem to want the dry.
Still, you’d be foolish to fish a freestone river in Northern California (especially the Upper Sac and McCloud Rivers) this time of year without at least a few October Caddis patterns tucked away.
