CAD25. Invicta Silver Caddis (Sedge) Wet Fly
CADDIS WET FLY PATTERNS. Hook size 10 12 14 - $US each
CADDIS
WET FLY PATTERNS
The Invicta is an old fly that has stood the test of time. It was created by James
Ogden in 1879 as an imitation of a dark Caddis. He included it in his book 'Ogden on fly tying'.
Ogden began his fishing career in Derbyshire in the 1840's. He later came south
and set up as a tackle master in Cheltenham, producing top quality innovative
equipment. He often fished in Ireland as well as the local chalk streams. The Invicta is a good stillwater fly and also ideal for river fishing in high
summer. During the hot summer days when the water level has been low and no
trout have been moving I have taken trout by fishing a small invicta just below
the surface on a long leader. Fished just
below the surface like this the Invicta can imitate a hatching caddis. It
usually does well when the caddis hatch is taking place whether in the daytime
or at dusk. It also works
as a fry imitation. There are two parts of this fly that deserve better study.
Since the early 1600 British fly fisherman have been using flies with a palmered
body. The palmered hackles move on the retrieve and help suggest life. It is
recorded that Shropshire Chef Thomas Barker fished with a fly called 'The Palmer
Fly' in the early 17th century. James Ogden was therefore basing his new fly
design on old proven style of dressing. He just amended it to make it more of an
effective pattern. The original Invicta pattern specified the use of a furnace
cock hackle feather blood red with a black center. These game cock feathers were
hard to find even in his day and even more so now. Modern alternatives are used
and the pattern is still very effective. The second part is Ogden's use of the
light blue Jay wing feather The hackle can pose problems for tiers as only one
side of the feather was used and this had to be separated or split from the
quill, leaving enough of the quill to wind on.
The common or slang term ‘sedge’ originates from the fact that adult Caddis flies can often be found clinging to sedge grass near the waters. Sedge/Caddis flies have four wings. The forward pair are normally a little longer than those at the rear. At rest their wings lie close along the body in an inverted V shape. Caddis flies do not have tails but many have long antenna. The Latin name for this group of flies is ‘Trichoptera’
(Greek for 'hairwing').
They pass through four stages in their development; egg, larva, pupa and adult. The eggs are laid by the adult female in large jelly mass, which often floats on the water surface and drift until they stick to some river side vegetation. Some species lay their eggs directly on vegetation.
The eggs hatch into larva in about 10-12 days. The Larvae produce a sticky substance and attach what ever material in on the river bed to their body. This offers protection and camouflage. The pupa stage lasts for several days. The fully formed pupa has middle body legs that it uses to swim to the surface to hatch. Some species choose the shore or vegetation to emerge rather than open water where they are easy prey for the trout.
Adult caddis flies vary in size. Their bodies are rather drab in color from gray, brown to green. The wings are mottled, patterned or pale and vary in colour from black, brown to gray. If the fish are not taking fly patterns of natural colors try a brightly colored attractor pattern of the correct shape. Most hatch early or late evening. Some hatch in the afternoon and some at night. The fish have two chances of catching these flies; when they emerge and when they return to lay eggs. Some species have a problem drying their wings and remain on the surface for a considerable time, causing a disturbance. Others that move to shore to hatch fully also cause a disturbance.
WET
FLIES
A wet fly is designed to be fished below the water's surface.
They are tied as deceivers or attractors. The success of the wet fly often depends far more on its
action in the water than on its resemblance to a particular insect, but this is
not always the case. When fish are on the feed the actual pattern is generally
not important, but when the fish are preoccupied or need tempting the angler
must use ingenuity to discover what the fish are feeding on and what color they
are taking. When fishing wet flies, it is important to remember that the higher
the wave on the water the higher the fly hook size can be, but still take into
account the brightness and clarity of the water.
Trout do see subsurface insects with wings. Some flies begin to hatch below the water surface. The Baetis group of up-winged flies swim or crawl beneath the surface as adult spinners in order to lay egg. There are occasions when duns and spent spinners are swamped by the current and forced under the water surface. Emerging duns that have been unable to get rid of their nymphal case or at the time of emerging are drowned when they float under rough water that is flowing over a large rock or ledge are also hunted by the fish. The trout on purpose lurk in slack water near eddies and small plunge pools to look out for these type of snacks. Clearly a trout does see winged insects under the surface at certain times of the year so be prepared with a selection of different colored wet flies for when the fish are not taking from the surface.
FLY FISHING TACTICS FOR FISHING IN THE RAIN
I like to fish wet flies in the rain. If you are one of those
fine weather fishermen you are missing a lot of sport. On sunny days the fish
swim near the bottom of the river, lake or stream for a number of reasons. They
do not have eye lids and the sun can damage the eyes. More importantly the
warmer the water becomes the less oxygen it can hold. Fish find warm water
uncomfortable. The colder the water temperature the more oxygen the water can
hold. When it rains the disturbance caused on the water surface
increases the oxygen content of the upper levels of water because when the water
droplets force their way through the water surface air gets trapped behind it.
If it is raining it normally means the sky is overcast and therefore the
temperature of the water decreases. This cooling effect is also helped by the
rain drops which are normally cold and help cool the upper water levels of the
lake or river to a more pleasant fish friendly environment.
They feel safer as choppy water makes them invisible to birds of prey. Heavy rain will knock airborne and surface insects down and into the water. More fish than normal rise from their bottom feeding location to the surface to feed from this bounty of drowned insects. Heavy rain also washes terrestrial insects like ants, beetles and Hoppers into the water from the land, overhanging trees and shrubs. Summer storms are primetime for subsurface fishing with a wet fly. Further advantages of fishing in heavy rain is that perfect fly presentation is less important. A fish who is stimulated by the abundance of drowned insect food, whilst on the look out for predators, will not have time to consider such things.
When the all the fair-weather fishermen are hiding under trees, in fishing huts or in their cars to keep dry, you will reap the rewards of some exciting fishing if you stay out in the rain. Just cast out your fly and let the rain drown it, just like what is happening to the real insects. Do not add any floatant. It is best to cast frequently as you will cover more water and I have found that the fly is normally taken just after it has broken the water surface. Fishing in heavy rain is an ideal time to try out new patterns . Trout have learned to expect a variety of different foods, not normally available to them,
MOUNTAIN WHITEFISH
These game fish are very abundant throughout Alberta, British Columbia and many
of the western states of the USA. The most popular flies are beaded Prince's
Nymph, Gold Ribbed Hares Ears and wet flies like the Royal Coachman in size #12
to #16. Some of the more popular streams for mountain whitefish in Alberta are
the Athabasca, North Saskatchwan, Red Deer, Bow, Highwood, Sheep, Oldman,
Livingstone, Crowsnest, Castle, Waterton, Belly and St Mary rivers. Spawning
occurs from late September to early November over gravelbeds. The eggs are
broadcast not buried in s redd like salmoniods. They are a long lived species
with a 20 year old specimen being recorded in a reservoir and they can grow to
over 5lbs. Autumn fall period is the traditional time to catch mountain
whitefish, as after gathering to spawn in late August they move into over
wintering pools where they remain until spring breaks. Use a pair of polarized
sunglasses. They tend to move around a lot. Look for flashes of silver as they
jostle for position in the current. It is not uncommon to find over 50 fish hold
up in the same pool. During the summer Mountain whitefish tend to favour turbulent
pocket water as well as deep runs and large pool. Mountain whitefish are
popular as a table fish and fantastic when smoked - particularly the smaller
ones.
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