Caddis Moth

AMERICAN PATTERNS DOWNUNDER

After the redirection of water flowing from the Great Lake in Tasmania’s Central Highlands, the world famous Shannon Rise of the Snowflake Caddis was lost overnight, and most anglers overlook the Caddis as a favored fly pattern. Many species exist in Tasmanian waters, yet little information was available.
To understand the complex life cycle of the Caddis and the manner in which a trout identifies it as a food item; a specialized approach was needed. Americas own "Mr. Caddis", Gary La Fontaine, with his approach to fish psychology and his willingness to be different, has provided a successful foundation on which to base fly patterns that cover each stage of the life cycle of the Caddis.

Fished slow, or dead drift in gin clear still water to large wild Brown or Rainbow Trout, is the ultimate test for angler and pattern alike, and the slightly modified La Fontaine Caddis patterns are second to none.

The Diving Caddis is an excellent searching pattern, it also proves deadly to early morning and evening rises, tailing and cruising trout. The Grouse wing is replaced with fox, this would be the most successful universal wet fly I have ever used. (Best morning effort, nine rainbow five pound and over, one brown three pound, best trout landed seven and a half pound brown.)

The Case and Free Swimming Caddis are good patterns fished slow, when things are quiet.

Diving Caddis (Fox Wing)

Deer Hair Sparkle Pupa, has no equal in a Caddis hatch, and is successful fished to rising fish anytime.

The emerger patterns as tied by Mike Lawson from the Henrys Fork and the Elk Hair Caddis as demonstrated by Jack Dennis of Jackson Wyoming also have their place here.

Dancing Caddis, skated across smooth slicks of an evening, can produce violent takes by large trout.

Deep Sparkle Pupa, used as a point fly in conjunction with a Deer Hair Emerger while pre-empting the hatch, has proved successful.

For those who strive for understanding the behavior of the trout, and the food they eat, a debt of gratitude is owed to those who make their findings available to others.

Gary La Fontaine’s fish psychology and Caddis patterns have reached across the world to Latitude 42-10 South Longitude 146-30 East. Thank you just doesn’t seem to be enough, the title of "Mr. Caddis" is well deserved.

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