Spotted Caddis

LARVA SIZE: 10-16 mm

LARVA COLOR: Light green, tan, tan-green, brownish

PUPA SIZE: 10-15 mm

PUPA COLOR: Tan, brown, yellow-tan, with tan or light green shroud

ADULT SIZE: 10-15 mm

ADULT COLOR: Body: Brown, green, brown-green. Wings: Mottled brown and gray

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS: Caseless (free living) larva. Larva has dorsal plates on the three sections of the thorax. Body, wing, and shroud colors can vary, so it's always best to check a natural insect where you are fishing. Body and wing colors will darken when the insect is ready to lay eggs.

Mouse-over for alternate views: Larva 1    Larva 2    Larva 3

About Spotted Caddis

This case-less caddis acts like a spider: larvae build little nets in the crevices of rocks and capture drifting plankton for their meals.

Their preferred habitat is riffles and runs. They often drift in the current, so where there are large populations, trout will feed on them year-round. A larva pattern dead-drifted near the bottom can be effective very effective in spring and fall, and even in winter.

Many species are pale green and look a lot like the green rock worm or green caddis; they are often found in the same kind of water and can be imitated with the same patterns and tactics. In other waters, spotted caddis larvae are more tan or brown.

Pupation occurs in the same water that the larvae lived in. During a hatch, dead-drift a pupa pattern near the bottom in riffly water or just below riffles. An unweighted pupa pattern can also be drifted near the surface, or you can present a Soft Hackle with a wet-fly swing. Another good strategy is a dry fly with a pupa pattern as a dropper or trailer; the dry fly acts as an indicator and sometimes is taken by the trout.

After the hatch, errant and unlucky adults fall onto the water, and a dry fly is the right choice. Bankwater downwind or downstream from overhanging trees is a good place to cast your dry.

Females swim or crawl underwater to lay eggs. You can fish a dry at this time, or go subsurface with a Soft Hackle or Diving Caddis pattern.

Articles About Spotted Caddis

Click headline to read entire article

Net Spinning Caddis Net spinning caddis in all their forms and stages are a major food source for Western trout. Find out what flies and tactics work for each stage. by Rick Hafele and Dave Hughes

Hidden Adults Some adult insects dive or crawl underwater to lay their eggs. What's the best way to imitate this behavior? by Jeff Morgan

Caddis Larvae--Part II More killer larva patterns for caddis. by Jeff Morgan

STAGE

PATTERN

SIZE/
COLOR

PRESENTATION

WHERE

Larva

Sparkle Larva

10-14/Body: green,tan, cream, brown

Indicator, Tight line

Riffles, runs, just below riffles

Zug Bug

10-14/Body: green,tan, cream, brown; Thorax: darker

Indicator, Tight line

Riffles, runs, just below riffles

Pupa

Z Wing Caddis

10-14/Body: tan, brown, yellow-tan, green

Indicator, Tight line, Shallow nymph

Riffles, runs, just below riffles

Soft Hackle

10-14/Body: tan, brown, yellow-tan, green

Surface swing, Shallow nymph

Riffles, runs, just below riffles

Sparkle Pupa

10-14/Body: tan, brown, yellow-tan, green; Shroud: tan

Indicator, Tight line, Shallow nymph

Riffles, runs, just below riffles

Deep Sparkle Pupa

10-14/Body: tan, brown, yellow-tan; Shroud: tan

Indicator, Tight line

Riffles, runs, just below riffles

Adult

Elk Hair Caddis, X Caddis

10-14/Body: brown, green; Wing: brown and gray

Standard dry fly

Bankwater near foilage

Goddard Caddis

10-14/Natural gray

Standard dry fly, Skating

Riffles

Egg-layer

Soft Hackle, Diving Caddis

10-14/Body: brown; Wing: black

Surface swing, Shallow nymph, Rising nymph

Riffles, current seams, backeddies below riffles