CAD16. Black Horned Tent-winged Caddis (Sedge) Fly

HORNED TENT WINGED CADDIS DRY FLY PATTERNS
This is an ideal pattern to imitate dark winged caddis like the Dark Blue Sedges (genus Psilotreta) that have dusty gray/green bodies but near black wings their favorite habitat is upland streams and small freestone rivers. Several weeks before their summer hatch (normally in June) the larvae group together in tightly stacked clumps under stream bed rock to pupate. This is the reason that during the hatch some stretches of water will have a dense population and others stretches will be sparse. The best time to fish this caddis dry fly is when the female returns to the water to lay her eggs on the water surface while continuing to move across it. The large hackle near the eye of the hook and the long tail allows the hook point to penetrate the surface imitating the caddis dragging its egg sac into the water as it moves along the water. This style of caddis fly pattern is commonly called a "Tent Wing" caddis pattern very similar to the King's River Caddis and the Hemingway. It has a 'down wing' made of feather, over a palmered body with a hackle collar. The term 'down wing' is used to illustrate that the pattern is different from normal Mayfly dry fly patterns that have 'up wings'

Most caddis fly fishing is in the twilight with lots of airborne insects and others on the water skittering across the surface as they try to take off after hatching before a hungry trout grabs them for their dinner from down below. There is another type of Caddis fly fishing on smooth water with helpless dying caddis and trout with refined taste sipping the surface, taking time picking out what they want to eat, being choosy. The first type of caddis fly fishing can be great fun but if you do not have the correct fly the second scenario can lead to failure. Big bushy elk hair wing caddis flies will not normally work. They will not fool the selective feeding trout. You need to have a selection of flat water caddis patterns that give a more realistic silhouette 

Slow or still water caddis are commonly smaller than those on rough faster water. Smaller insects tend to hatch for longer periods and more profusely. On slow water I use low quick casts rather than high slow ones so the trout cannot see my line. I always try to make my false casts off to the side. These to methods will help to avoid spooking the fish. if you fish with novices, are a beginner or you have poor eyesight, fish two flies with a smaller more realistic tent winged horned caddis fly trailing behind a larger more visible fly like a buoyant Goddard's Caddis Fly (G&H Sedge)

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.

I can always remember my first introduction to fly fishing using caddis flies. At the village pub one summers evening a friend of mine had been telling tales of the great sedge hatches on the lake near his house. I expressed an interest to try this style of fly fishing and he invited me to have a try the following evening. He told me to meet him at 9pm. I felt this was a bit late but I turned up on time anxious to get started.

He did not rush. There was barley an hour left of daylight. When we got to the lake it was flat. Nothing was moving. I was a bit disappointed. We rowed the boat upwind of a broadleaf weed bed. He told me to wait and watch. For about 15 minutes nothing stirred. I was so impatient to get my rod out and try a few casts before we lost the light. Out of the corner of my eye I detected movement. About 40 yards downwind the first adult caddis flies were starting to emerge and scutter towards the weed beds and relative safety. This woke up the trout. The next batch to hatch were attacked in a wild feeding frenzy. We put the boat within striking distance and caught fish after fish for the next two hours with the aid of moonlight.

When fishing from a boat try to do what is called a re-float, gently lifting the rod tip and just letting the fly skip back towards you for a few feet while staying awake for a strike at any moment. Often the trout jump out of the water and down onto the fly causing many fisherman to try setting the hook before the fish has the fly in it's mouth. A re-float is done by picking the fly rod tip up after caddis fly is on the water. This gently skips the fly back towards you. Now lower the rod tip and once again lets the fly drift. Besides imitating the natural habit of a caddis laying eggs on the water, it increases the time spent fishing instead of casting resulting in much more water covered and  fished by the fly.

CUSTOMER'S COMMENTS
Tent Winged Caddis in size 16, 14 & 12 are in my top ten list of flies. Most of my fishing is on rivers and streams in Maine, USA. Occasionally I'll canoe a few ponds. Most noted are the rivers of Kennebec, Penobscot, Moose, Crooked, Rapid, Messalonskee, Kenebago, Grand Lake Stream, Magaloway, Dead River, Kenduskeag and Sebasticook. As always tight lines, Jeff Haresear