Soft-Hackles & Caddis

[Nymphmeister]

We are entering into that Caddis time of year, so start thinking about swinging various soft-hackles in Caddis colors to match the big hatches to come this month. Try bodies of greens, olives, tans and hare's ear too. I've had luck doing this in the past both during the morning hatches and the evening egg-laying too. Try also running a soft-hackle as a dropper behind an adult Caddis pattern (such as an Elk Hair), it can be deadly and often out produces the dry. You can also dead-drift one with split shot in a standard nymph rig, most people don't do this but it works!

[Night Angler]

I like to put a small piece of foam (brown) at the head of the fly... and when fishing close to the bottom it stay just off the bottom...

[rckrego]

Torrey, do you use any other caddis tandems? Like pupa to larva, or emerger to pupa? I'm thinking a nice partridge and green or yellow to a muskrat nymph dead drifted with no weight. What do ya think?

I just got a guinea hen skin. What do you think of the feathers for matching the grannom?

[Nymphmeister]

Never seen a whole guinea skin, dunno what it looks like. I usually use stuff like partridge, grouse, woodcock & starling on my soft hackles- off the top of my head, and without looking at a pic, I'd probably use woodcock on a grannom soft hackle, or maybe starling. Speaking of Muskrat nymphs, I watched a guy on the Beaverkill go thru water I'd just fished, and using a Muskrat, he cleaned house. Very humbling to watch, and he even did it without an indicator, using the old high stick method. Other than the different color pupa rig, and the adult with soft hackle or pupa dropper, I also drop the pupa off a bigger nymph, usually a stonefly, a Fox Squirrel, or a Prince.

[Brookie]

[quote author=Nymphmeister link=topic=525.msg3281#msg3281 date=1178596968]
We are entering into that Caddis time of year, so start thinking about swinging various soft-hackles in Caddis colors to match the big hatches to come this month. Try bodies of greens, olives, tans and hare's ear too. I've had luck doing this in the past both during the morning hatches and the evening egg-laying too. Try also running a soft-hackle as a dropper behind an adult Caddis pattern (such as an Elk Hair), it can be deadly and often out produces the dry. You can also dead-drift one with split shot in a standard nymph rig, most people don't do this but it works!
[/quote]

I had a nice take the other night when my caddis pupa was hanging in the current... to me that's a sign that the fish are starting to seek out those emerging caddis.

Anybody take a water temp on the HOusy within the past day or 2? Should be getting up to ideal feeding temps I would think!

[Nymphmeister]

The recording said 57 yesterday morning, so we should see afternoon temps cracking into the 60's..... game on!

[rckrego]

I wanna try out that fox squirrel. looks deadly. also rosborough's near nuff. Does anyone have a copy of his book "fuzzy nymphs"?

Torrey, I'm gonna tie up those muskrats and give em a whirl. I'm intrigued by this wet fly-fuzzy nymph or flymph tandem.

[rckrego]

you should check out a guinea hen skin. its got lots of nice small hackle feathers. I really like the look of it. Grey, black and white dappled. Figured it fell into the general schema of the traditional soft hackle skins.

[trout5]

Is that muskrat nymph a pattern or just a caddis pupa tyed with muskrat fur? I love soft hackles, especially partridge and starling.

[Nymphmeister]

It's a Polly Rosborough pattern: 3xl hook, black thread, muskrat body spun in a loop and twisted pretty tight and wrapped with a slight taper, beard of guinea fibers for legs, and a head of black ostrich. You can modify it though, make it look more like a Caddis pupa- try a shorter hook, and make a collar of hen or starling for legs, maybe 2 turns or so.