Tying caddis doesn’t get any easier than this simple Grannom cased caddis imitation demonstrated by Aaron Jasper in this fly tying video tutorial.
Caddis Life Cyle
The caddis fly life cycle consists of four stages: egg, larval, pupa and adult. Caddis spend the majority of the life cycle (typically a year) in the larval stage during which caddis form a cocoon-like casing or silk netting to both protect and camouflage themselves from predators – like hungry trout. As a result, the caddis larvae represent a significant year round food source for trout.
Grannom Caddis
Grannom Caddis (Brachycentrus) are present in both Eastern and Western US rivers and prefer riffles and runs with moderate to fast currents, typically attaching their casings to rocks on the stream bottom. Cased larvae, including the Grannom, are prone to behavioral drift (where they periodical let go of their grip on the river bottom and float downstream) and are sometimes knocked loose by the current. As a result, a cased caddis pattern such as this one dead-drifted near the bottom can be highly effective year round.
How to Fish Caddis Nymphs
If you like Aaron’s fly tying videos, check out his recently released European Nymphing Techniques and Fly Tying DVD where he shares with us insight on the highly effective European style of fishing nymphs that is particularly well suited to fishing caddis larvae imitations. The DVD includes several fly tying tutorials on how to tie a number of Aaron’s favorite patterns including his Dronestone and Polish Woven nymphs.
Enjoy!