Montana-based fly fishing guide and fly tyer, Chuck Stranahan, has
quietly built a loyal following of fly fishing compatriots who fishing
nothing but his elegant and durable fly patterns. In fact, his
followers are so loyal they have become known simply as Chuck’s
“underground army.”
When Stranahan set out to create a new
caddis pattern for his troops, he wasn’t sure what he’d come up with,
but the result, dubbed the “Caddis Variant,” has been nothing short of
smashing – taking the popular creation from the underground to the
mainstream.
With its durable hair wing, ultra thick hackle
collar, and elegantly wrapped body, the Ginger Caddis Variant makes the
perfect flitty imitation of an adult little brown stonefly. Give this
bug a few twitches through the main drift and watch your favorite trout
river boil with aggressive rises!
Specifications:
- This fly pattern was developed by Chuck Stranahan, a favorite fly fishing guide in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley
- Fly designed for durability and surface movement and action
- Caddis imitation in the mature larval life stage
- Works brilliantly as an adult little brown stonefly imitation
- Fish on a dead drift through faster riffles and current seams
- To imitate egg-laying females, add a few jerky twitches to the dead drift for a lifelike appearance
- Be sure to scope out slower water below and adjacent to the higher energy sections of the river or stream and present the fly on a dead drift
- When approaching slower and shallower water, be wary of disturbing holding fish and use more delicate dry fly presentations
- SIZE 16
When and Where to Fish the Ginger Caddis Variant – Little Brown Stonefly
This
relatively small adult caddis imitation is most effectively fished as
an impressionistic fly pattern when searching for trout – it can be a
wickedly effective imitation of the early season little brown stonefly
species on many western streams and rivers. When searching, look to the
water’s surface for evidence of a little brown stonefly hatch. These
adult stoneflies will often fall into the water during or after mating
on streamside rocks and vegetation and will be swept up with the main
current’s drift. Female adults are easily visible as they clumsily
return to the water’s surface to deposit their fertilized eggs. Little
brown stoneflies are most active from morning to evening and are
typically available to trout on western fly water from January to May.
How to Fish the Ginger Caddis Variant – Little Brown Stonefly
Fish
this relatively small dry fly on the water’s surface during and just
following a hatch of adult little brown stoneflies. When imitating a
fallen adult caught in the main current’s drift, achieving a motionless
dead drift can be very important. When imitating a female adult
returning to the water’s surface to deposit her eggs, however, adding a
few subtle twitches to the dead drifted fly can be tremendously
effective. Add these lifelike twitches simply by moving the rod tip up
and down slightly. These techniques are most useful in medium to faster
riffles, current seams, and pools. Slower backwaters and eddys below
and adjacent to these higher energy environments can also be fantastic
places to find floating adult little brown stoneflies and the trout
that prey on them. When approaching slower, shallower water be wary of
disturbing the holding fish and make more delicate dry fly
presentations.
Little Brown Stonefly
Little brown stoneflies are small
stoneflies commonly found in trout water throughout western North
America. These dark brown, slate grey or black crawling nymphs are
widely distributed throughout rivers and streams, and are generally the
first stoneflies to hatch during the year. Despite this broad
distribution and early hatch cycle, little brown stoneflies are rarely
available to trout in their nymph stage. During this sheltered larval
stage, little brown stoneflies spend the balance of their time using
their slender, but strong legs, and low center of gravity to crawl or
“creep” about the rocky bottoms of small to large rivers and spring
creeks with moderate to fast flow rates. As nymphs, little brown
stoneflies display short tails and antennae and can sometimes display
complex patterns along their backs. As winged adults, these insects
take on a rich brown or black color and boast the flat wings common to
all adult stoneflies. The little brown stonefly is clumsy in flight and
follows the life stages of a typical stonefly life cycle. The species
is known throughout the western United States as the “Early Brown
Stone” for its common winter (January) and spring (May) emergence
pattern.
Little Brown Stone Adult Life Stage
This
small early season stonefly is available to trout throughout western
North America and can be a fantastic hatch to fish if insect activity
and emergence is sparse. The little brown stonefly is hardly available
to trout during its nymph stage because of its self-protective
reclusive behavior, but during emergence and as winged adults these
stoneflies can be an excellent source of food for hungry trout. As
adults, little brown stoneflies are most vulnerable when they fall onto
the water’s surface during or after mating or when females return to
the water’s surface to deposit their fertilized eggs. Little brown
stoneflies are terrible in flight and females will rest on the water’s
surface for relatively long periods between successive egg deposits.
Adults of this species are easily recognized by their long antennae and
dark grey, brown, or black coloration.
About the Tyer: Chuck Stranahan
Chuck
Stranahan is quite simply a fantastic modern fly tyer. At the young age
of just 8 years old, he began to experiment with hooks, feathers, fur,
and thread. The rest is, well, history. Since those early years,
Stranahan has been a wildly successful commercial fly tyer, fly fishing
instructor, and fly fishing guide. He has developed an innovative style
of fly tying with the help of other fly tyers like Andre Puyans and Cal
Bird along the way. Stranahan’s patterns have been cataloged fly tying
masters like Randall Kaufmann and many of his creations have become
standards throughout the legendary trout water of the American west.
Stranahan has been very active in fly fishing organizations over the
years and has even won the prestigious Streamkeeper award from
California Trout. He lives in the picturesque Bitterroot Valley of
Montana and continues to tie his elegant and durable flies for his
“underground army” of loyal fly fishing compatriots.
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.”