It’s October. Do You Know Where Your Caddis Is?
By Tom Chandler on Oct 3, 2006 in Fly Fishing, Upper Sacramento
I’m still putting gear away from the backpacking trip and getting it assembled for tomorrow’s small stream adventure, which is to say I’m engaged in that mental tug-of-war where I balance my quest for minimalism with an unreasoning terror that I won’t have the one gadget/rod/fly I need on the water.
Recreation can sometimes be testing.
An Upper Sac rainbow with an October Caddis toothache. (2005 photo)
The good news for those prone to recreating on the Upper Sac is that anonymous, highly placed sources have admitted that October Caddis have begun to hatch. “Caddisgate” - as I’m calling it in deference to the media’s need to create a cute name for every event - is apparently a high point for a lot of Upper Sac fly fishers.
At this time of year, the river tends to draw pretty good crowds, especially on weekends. It’s likely the dry fly fishing’s better in spring, but spring flows and weather are largely uncertain, while fall flows are wholly predictable and the risks are smaller.
Chris Raine and I have been fighting a running battle over fly patterns for the October Caddis hatch, and at some point he’ll realize that he’s dead wrong and I’m dead right, but until then, the invective will fly and fish will be caught.
It’s a crazy week (FFF Conclave this weekend in addition to the Outdoor Blogger Ho-Down), but despite the gathering media storm around Caddisgate, I plan to keep you as up to date as possible on matters of absolutely no importance.
I know. It’s a gift. See you on the river, Tom Chandler.
Technorati Tags: october caddis
rriver | Oct 3, 2006 | Reply
Watching October Caddis hatch last night, it was interesting to see how long they were actually on the water. The first appearance would be a circular ring/buldge of about 8 - 12 inches in diameter, and then the caddis would take off, a bit wobbly, until a couple of feet above the river where they fly better and head off to some unknown hideout.
Despite that, an October Caddis dry works, though best if you twitch and skate it.
Still doing spent caddis reseach deep in my top secret underground laboratory. The 6 foot 4 wt banty bamboo rod I just bought, besides being great for fishing in the backyard between the trees, is a great way to keep Igor in line when he eats one to many test subjects. It will have to do until I can get a proper Singapore rotan in December.
Igor says, “There so crunchy master - ouch!”.
- rriver
Tom Chandler | Oct 3, 2006 | Reply
They’re an impressive bug, no doubt. They pop out of the water like a small hummingbird.
One caveat about getting them on dries; I’ve fished an October Caddis dry through a *lot* of hatches without a bite. Turns out the Upper Sac trout will sometimes ignore them - especially if there are PEDs or BWOs on the water.
I assume the mayflies are easy pickin’s compared to the fast-moving caddis, though you’d have to eat a lot of ‘em to equalize the calorie count.
And bring me a rotan back from Singapore. There are some Undergrounders who would benefit from its application, though I’d better do whatever it takes to keep it out the L&T Nancy’s hands…
rriver | Oct 3, 2006 | Reply
You are right on that. You may get a couple of rises (usually a really good fish), but the catching for me is done on a 16 or 18 cream comparadun. I can’t even see what the natural is. Its a no see-um. I use cream so I can see it.
I some big fish over the week end on my peacock cased caddis pattern, so I’m assuming the October caddis is beginning to rumble.
Large washes of spent are not around yet.
- rriver