Super Pupae

[Old Hat]

I was tying these in Boise along with the dyret (animal). Super easy. I had a pretty steady flow of people watching. I think people are just itching for something new. Just two toned dubbing and a palmered hackle with most of the hackle trimmed off except for a few fibers along the sides.

Super Pupae.png (247.83 KiB) Viewed 8118 times

[daringduffer]

This pattern was the result of the quest for a representation of a caddis puapae that raises to the surface midstream and then swims to the shore to hatch out. The Swedish fly tier Lennart Bergqvist created the pattern, with input from fishing companions, and the first iteration was tied on Mustad 94833 size 12, Thread: black, Hackle:dark dun; cut flat over and under, Abdomen: Fly-Rite no 9, Thorax: Mix of 60% Fly-Rite no 2 and 40% no 26.
Several other combinations has since been suggested, but it seems as if this one is most successful. I guess it is top three among surface flies in Scandinavia.

Story behind it in Swedish (Preben Torp Jacobsen was one of the companions) with colour variations in the end: http://www.rackelhanen.se/swe/1350.htm

Another of his caddis patterns is this: http://www.rackelhanen.se/eng/10235.htm

dd

[hankaye]

Old/New Hat, Howdy;

Very interesting pattern. Looks like it should bring some fish to the dinner table.

hank

[Roadkill]

Nice, have you fished it?

[daringduffer]

In the article in my language that I linked to, you can see a photo of a swimming pupae with its slender body. Bergqvist insisted on same width of both thorax and abdomen. He/they first encountered this caddis in Rena (Norwegian river) in 1977. When the problem eventually was solved, Torp Jacobsen wrote about it in a letter to Gary LaFontaine who mentioned it in Fly Fisherman. Bergquist writes in the article that he in the early ninetees walked around the fishing camp in Koppang (where Ruard fished last summer) and checked what fly the returning fishermen had on their leader; all but one had the Superpuppa.

As a lot of other flies, it sometimes catches better on, in or below surface.

dd

[daringduffer]

[Roadkill]

daringduffer,

Great another new fly to tie!! Thanks for the details!

[Old Hat]

I have fished it in many different colors. It is a good fly and very versatile. I don't like it as "perfectly" tied as that photo shows and I use seal for the thorax as I like it buggier. An orange, cream, olive and tan body work well for me.

[William Anderson]

That is a great looking pattern. I can see why it's so successful. Carl, thanks for bringing this up. It's definitely something I'd love to try. A killer stream fly, but I wonder what water type it is intended. Any guesses?

[Old Hat]

Personally, I have used it in both rivers and small Stillwater. I have not used it warm water situations. It's obviously a Caddis imitation so anywhere you find Caddis it should provide some fish.