October Caddis

[UC Steve]

This has an almost LaFontaine-like glow to it when wet. Nicely done. Have you tied it in smaller sizes?

Yes, I've tied it in smaller sizes. The mallard puff makes a nice color spot on PTN's as well.

[Mataura mayfly]

Very nice, well thought out pattern.
The wet shot shows the body material choices to be good ones.

[William Anderson]

Steve, as a caddis pattern this is nice and robust. I can see why you have continued to work with the material combinations.

The wet shot shows the body material choices to be good ones.

True, but it belies the action this fly would have and the attraction. Beautiful combination.

w

[Smuggler]

I have such a love hate relationship with this insect. Over the past couple years I've really tried to follow this bug around here in Central Pa. So much fun catching these hatching after dusk and swinging large flymphs in hopes of hooking up with big fish. Love it..

This is a really nice pattern Steve, I'm really digging the incorporation of Pheasant into the pattern.
I think a key point in imitation of this insect is the body to wing ratio. Have you ever taken a really good look at this fly?
The body is almost two times smaller than the wings itself. I try to push that when tying, I truly believe it is a key point of a good imitation.

I mean what I say as constructive, not intrusive. I love the pattern, in fact I'll probably be trying to mimic it later tonight!
Were supposed to get up to 8 inches of snow... good tying and reading weekend!

[UC Steve]

Thanks for the kind comments on the OC guys. Good point about the wing Smuggler. Many of these go through final instar on the bottom & emerge as winged adults, so I also tie a winged version using a pinch of mottled fibers taken from a turkey tail secondary feather, twice the length of the body. I fish it as a wetfly, dead-drifted & swung, same as the pupa. A version tied with a longer church window feather, taken from near the base of the tail -- long enough to extend well behind the hook, as in the Carey Special, works well too, possibly simulating the emergent wing. All three versions have had their day, & I really can't say that one works better than another. I'm fairly convinced the success of this pattern is due to the miasmic effect provided by the mallard flank puff collar. And I've found no other material to substitute for it. Chickabou won't do it.

I received a note from a tier in Michigan who informed me that he is getting good results on the Miasmic OC tied to meet the Eastern version. Same thing, only he's tying his smaller, in #10, using sulfur yellow Wapsi Superfine mixed with a bit of gray rabbit dubbing for the abdomen, to match his local bugs. Too late in the season now, but I hope somebody tries an Eastern version, as this one has been worthwhile on my homewater.

[hankaye]

UCSteve, Howdy;

Forgive me but at times I closely resemble one of DUBBN's favorite trout (a bit thick between the ears),
I'm not a bug kind of guy, and my science speak is not as sharp as others. Could you elaborate a bit on
what you mean here; "Many of these go through final instar on the bottom & emerge as winged adults,"
and here; "I'm fairly convinced the success of this pattern is due to the miasmic effect provided by the
mallard flank puff collar."
The difficult words (instar & miasmic), I can look up in a dictionary, it's the usage I'm curious about and how you intended
their usage. Please don't take this to be argumentative, it isn't meant to be. I'm just trying to comprehend this to it's fullest.
Thanks for your patience...

hank

[UC Steve]

Hank, it's fine & probably necessary that you press me for clarity, as I'm usually just hustling through. I do have an article about this one posted on Soft~Hackle Journal which contains quite a bit more detail than I left here...

In a nutshell: October Caddis larvae build a case of silk/sticks/pebbles. Toward the end of July & into August & September, the larvae seal the opening to the case & begin the process of turning into pupae, which renders them dormant for a month or more. At maturity, the pupae chew through the door & emerge from the case. The pupae are very robust, able to clamber & swim. This is the stage when they are most vulnerable to trout, & this is the stage the pattern I showed here is meant to represent (that is why it has no wing). The pupae tend to migrate ('the crawl') toward shallower water, but also streamside stones & vegetation to complete the final emergence to winged adult. Upon emergence from the case, pupae will be yellowish in color, & while in the free-swimming pupa stage, lasting 30 hours or more, they darken to adult coloration. Hope this helps.

Miasma: This is a literary stretch, on my part, from the Simon & Schuster take, in my case (the OC pupa) meaning a filmy juxtaposition or over-layer.

[hankaye]

UC Steve, Howdy;

The reason I asked was I'd looked them (Instar & miasma), and I could see the use of Instar
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/instar?s=t
as it pertains to "an insect in any one of its periods of postembryonic growth between molts.

But miasma I couldn't figure out
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Miasma?s=t
because, the way I read it "1. noxious exhalations from putrescent organic matter; poisonous effluvia or
germs polluting the atmosphere. 2. a dangerous, foreboding, or deathlike influence or atmosphere."

Didn't get me anywhere near "from the Simon & Schuster take, in my case (the OC pupa) meaning a filmy
juxtaposition or over-layer."

Sorry if it seems like I'm pickin' nits ... and I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm just looking for meanings that make sense
to me so I can further educate my thick headed self.

hank

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Great looking bug, one that I'll have for my next trip for sea run cutthroat in the fall of 2014.

[UC Steve]

Thanks Ron. Email me an addy & I'll send you a few samples/cutthroat versions, if you like.