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
Olive Caddis, an imitation of an adult Olive 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
- Olive Caddis imitation in the adult life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Fish on a dead drift in medium energy waters; riffles, runs, and current seams 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
- Adults sometimes collect in good numbers in slower waters below faster riffles, eddys are great spots to look for stranded olive caddis adults
- 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 16
When and Where to Fish the Peacock Caddis Olive 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 medium to high energy well-oxygenated
water; riffles, runs, tailouts, and current seams are prime real estate
for this fly. Olive or green colored caddis and sedges can be active
throughout the year.
How to Fish the Peacock Caddis Olive Caddis
Fish this fly in the surface film of medium and 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.
Olive 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, black or
olive caddis available to trout. Most anglers will refer to a black or
olive 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.
Olive Caddis Adult Life Stage
Upon emergence, olive caddis do not spend much time on the water as
newly hatched winged adults. Rather, they flitter quickly away to the
shelter of streamside vegetation and debris to seek suitable mates.
Once the fertilized females are ready to deposit their eggs, they
return to the water's surface, leaving their precious cargo behind.
Selective trout will often zero in on these vulnerable females and feed
voraciously on them as they lightly dap the surface this way and that.
After mating, adult males often fall spent into the drift and collect
in slower eddys where trout gather to feast.
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.”