Some fly patterns stand the test of time. Like the clean and powerful
lines of Greek and Roman architecture, their elegant profiles carry the
best elements of the past into the future.
Way back in the
1950s, a native-Pennsylvanian-turned-rugged-Montana-trout-bum named Al
Troth wrapped some thread about a bit of elk hair fibers roughly
matched to the length of a hook shank. When Troth tied the first Elk
Hair Caddis did he know he had created perhaps the most effective and
improvised upon adult caddis imitation of all time?
One clever
ad-lib on Troth's original design is the Peacock Caddis Black Caddis,
an imitation of an emergent Black Caddis. This effective fly pattern is
tied with the same light and durable elk hair wing, but its body is
wrapped with attractive iridescent peacock herl, a tantalizing treat
for hungry trout.
Specifications:
- An attractive variation on a classic fly pattern developed by native Pennsylvanian and legendary Montana fly fishing guide, Al Troth
- Black Caddis imitation in the emerger life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Fish on a dead drift in low energy waters; lakes, eddys, and weedy spring creeks are perfect water for this fly
- Be sure trout are feeding on caddis adults at the surface, not subsurface emergers and cripples
- Always observe the rises of feeding trout and aim your dead drift directly at these rises
- Hatches can occur throughout the day across North America
- The most prolific hatches occur in eastern North America during May, while the western watersheds see two stages of activity from April to May and July to August
- SIZE 18
When and Where to Fish the Peacock Caddis – Black Caddis
This
caddis adult can be fished as either an impressionistic fly pattern
when searching for trout or as a realistic imitation when matching the
hatch. There are literally thousands of highly localized species of
caddis native to lakes, streams, and rivers across the globe. With so
much variation it's often a best practice when fishing a caddis hatch
to match color and size of the local species as closely as possible
rather than worry about imitating a single specific species. This fly
is highly effective in slow to medium energy water; spring creeks,
weedy runs, lazy eddys, and lakes are prime real estate for this fly.
Darkly colored caddis and sedges can be active throughout the year, but
are especially prolific in the early spring in eastern North America
and in the west from April to May and again in July to August.
How to Fish the Peacock Caddis - Black Caddis
Fish
this fly in the surface film of low energy environments on a dead
drift. Before you make a cast, be sure trout are actually feeding on
adult caddis in the surface film and not on cripples or emergers just
below the surface. Use a dead drift or a swing strategy and make sure
to observe the feeding lanes the trout are using and place your fly
directly within these lanes. Caddis do not spend much time as adults on
the water after hatching; this fly is most effective while sexually
mature adult caddis return to the water's surface to deposit eggs.
Eddys and slower pools can be excellent collecting areas for these
returning caddis. Make a delicate presentation in this slower water and
be sure to use longer leaders and a quiet stalking approach before
casting to fish in these slower areas.
Black Caddis
Caddisflies are relatively large aquatic
insects that provide hungry trout with an excellent source of
nutritional protein. There are literally thousands of species of caddis
across the globe so it's often helpful to generalize caddis by their
color and size; an angler would have to have a thousand fly boxes to
match every local species of caddis.
Not surprisingly, there
are many species of darkly colored or black caddis available to trout.
Most anglers will refer to a black caddis as an "American Grannom,"
which most of the time is probably not wrong, but is often not right.
Again, the important elements of caddis imitation are size and color,
not species-specific foolery.
Caddis, unlike mayflies and
stoneflies, undergo complete metamorphosis, experiencing larva, pupa,
and adult stages within a typical life cycle, rather than just a single
nymph stage. During the larval stage, caddis look like tiny, segmented
worms. These wormy creatures are classified as either cased caddis
larvae or free-living caddis larvae.
Ideally, caddis emerge
from their pupal shuck as quickly as possible as they are extremely
vulnerable when hanging in the surface film. Once the winged adult
caddis has fully emerged, it continues to act with a keen sense of
urgency, wasting no time to flitter from the water's surface and to the
safety of nearby trees and stream-side vegetation.
Adult
caddis live significantly longer winged lives than mayflies and will
spend up to two or three full weeks away from the water. When they're
finally ready to mate, males will gather near their home water to form
a swarm. Females will join the swarm to have their eggs fertilized.
Once the mating process has been successfully completed, females will
deposit their eggs on the water's surface, propagating the species.
Black Caddis Emerger Life Stage
Caddis
are most vulnerable during their pupa and emergent stages, pupae,
emerger, making emergent and cripple stages quite important to
successful trout angling on a fly. Black caddis, like most caddis types
or species, emerge quite rapidly, spending as little time in this most
vulnerable stage as possible. Therefore, it's extremely important to
recognize when trout are focusing their selective feeding on these
emergers - catching a hatch at just the right time can render a slow
day a fantastic day in a hurry.
About the Tyer: Al Troth
Al Troth was a true
pioneer of modern fly fishing in America. Born and raised in
Pennsylvania, he literally reshaped the face of trout fly tying when in
1957 he created the elegantly simple and wildly popular Elk Hair
Caddis, a fly pattern that has served as the inspiration for a host of
similar modern trout flies. Shortly after showing off his new caddis
imitation on the great fly water of Loyalsock Creek, Troth headed west
to the great roaring waters of Montana where he quickly became a
revered fly fishing guide and master fly tyer.
Leland on Umpqua
In
1972 a man named Dennis Black and his fly tying skills found themselves
in high demand. Mr. Black, then a professional production fly tyer, was
famous in the industry for his unsurpassed skill and speed with
whipping up tremendously beautiful and precisely constructed flies. It
wasn’t long until this young fly tying superstar realized that he ought
to take his consistent approach to quality to the next level. Shortly
after this realization, a small army of fly tyers had banded together
to support Mr. Black’s vision. With the likes of Dave Whitlock, Jack
Dennis, and Andy Puyans, Mr. Black was officially in business.
Dennis
Black’s new company Umpqua Feather Merchants quickly extended its reach
and fly production capabilities with expansion into India, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand, where the world’s first and full blown “fly tying
factories” were built. Since those early days, only the highest
standard of excellence has marked Umpqua and this commitment to quality
and efficiency continues to spur the company forward. Dennis Black’s
innovative vision for “fly production” has truly revolutionized how the
fly industry operates and has ultimately made the majority of
production flies better. From the first “royalty system” for rewarding
the most creative professional fly tyers to streamlining production
systems and offering a range of other products, Umpqua Feather
Merchants just seems to “do it all.”
Today, Umpqua Feather Merchants
is without a doubt the world’s best and most prolific supplier of hand
tied fly fishing flies as well as fly tying hooks and materials, and
they recently got better! Umpqua’s brand new, state of the art
headquarters in Louisville, Colorado marks another paradigm shift in
the way fly tying business is done. From its vast warehouse to its
specially designed inventory management and tracking system, Umpqua is
poised to continue its energetic trajectory and lead the way for the
next generation of flies and fly tyers.
Umpqua on Umpqua
"As
you may or may not know, we're the largest producer of quality
hand-tied flies in the world. We also make available through your local
fly shop a wide array of the finest fly-tying hackle and Tiemco hooks.
At Umpqua we offer everything the angler needs to a have a first
class fishing experience. (Everything that is, but the water and the
fish.)"
Umpqua on Dennis Black and the “Obvious Quest”
“The
idea first took shape in the hands of our founder, Dennis Black, back
in 1972. As a fast and facile professional fly tyer, Dennis was known
for his skill and speed at producing hundreds of dozens of flies each
year for the larger mail order houses. But he was also quick to realize
how fast the demand for excellent flies would outstrip the abilities of
cottage industry types like him.
The Obvious Quest: To create
excellent flies in sufficient supply – without sinking his standards.
In response, Dennis developed (with characteristic care) a methodical
plan: First, he enlisted the tying expertise of the likes of Dave
Whitlock, Jack Dennis, Andy Puyans and others, to help him set the
standard of excellence for Umpqua flies.
Next, Dennis established the
first of what would eventually be five separate fly-tying “factories,”
first in India, then in Sri Lanka, and finally in Thailand. The primary
focus at each of these factories was on producing the very best fishing
flies possible, constructed of the very best materials available. From
the beginning, the quantity of flies produced was secondary to the
quality and excellence of each fly pattern. These high standards were
assured by the personal involvement of the fly designers themselves,
and by the ever-increasing skill, imagination and creativity of the
Umpqua production fly tiers. Today, you will find no flies more
skillfully tied than those available from Umpqua Feather Merchants.
Finally, Dennis created a system of royalty payments, to reward
professional tyers like Whitlock, Lefty Kreh, Randall Kaufman, Larry
Dahlberg, and Bob Popovics for uniquely good patterns.
The Result:
Today, Umpqua produces umpteen thousand dozen flies, from micro-scopic
midge imitations to the huge patterns favored by marlin and sailfish.
And the "Umpquality" – you’ll see for yourself.”