Posts tagged "green caddis"

Early April Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 1, 2017

It’s April and this is the time to think steelhead if you haven’t been thinking about them already. With the mild winter and thaws, the fishing has been mostly good in March with a mix of winter and fresh fish with more to come as the days get longer, more rainfall brings water levels up and temperatures get warmer.

The local rivers all have fish in them including the Boardman, Betsie and Manistee. Fish are just beginning to spawn with more fish holding in pocket water and holes near spawning gravel waiting for optimum conditions. Water temps are bouncing around 40 degrees and clarity is good for this time of year with just a slight stain. While the cloudy days have made for cooler conditions, the fishing is noticeably better than when the sun makes an appearance.

No real game changers on successful fly patterns in the past week or so: Eggs in Chartreuse/Steelhead Orange, Rodeo Clown, Golden Nugget/Burnt Orange. Nymphs: green Caddis, fry, UPSC, small stones. With the water warming up we are starting to see some stones flutter on the surface and that means stonefly nymphs below. Also, as more natural eggs begin to drop, it might be time to start fishing the smaller, natural sized egg patterns especially with the clearer water.

With spring break taking place it’s been good to see some parents getting kids to the river for some fishing including some little guys with some real impressive skills. And they have been nice, happy, polite and friendly kids. Don’t let your kids be the ones that get away – get them outdoors when you can.

Just a reminder – new fishing licenses are required beginning April 1. And sections of certain rivers (Little Manistee and Platte) are now open for steelhead fishing.

The MI-DNR has released their trout “management” plan and are seeking comments – if interested, you can read by clicking here.

May Fishing – Trout, late steelhead, hatches, streamer fishing, bluegill on lakes – don’t overlook fishing in May.
Trout – The hatches of late May lead into June making for some of the year’s best dry fly fishing – don’t miss out.
2017 Fishing – Plan your year around your fishing – get your dates on the calendar, life will fit in around it.

April fishing, black stonefly, boardman river, caddis, egg patterns, green caddis, manistee river steelhead. MI-DNR trout, manistee river steelhead. platte river, steelhead, stonefly

Green Caddis – Steelhead and Salmon

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 21, 2015

V-Rib or Vinyl Rib Caddis

It seems that each spring and fall when the steelhead are around, I find I didn’t tie enough flies in the off season to keep my boxes well stocked. Thankfully there are a few patterns that are quick and easy to tie, but more importantly, they are effective. The green caddis is one of them.

Caddis insects line the bottom of many rivers and their cases can often be seen clinging to rocks and logs. A gentle squeeze of that casing will bring the little grub-looking larvae out, and you will see the bright green resemblance to these patterns. While the naturals are very small (typically size 12-20), we fish them in larger sizes – serving, I think, more as an attractor or suggestion, rather than a perfect imitation of the natural caddis.

Steelhead Caddis – Dubbed

Fish love chartreuse, and some of you may have heard the expression – “It ain’t no use – unless it’s chartreuse.” We kind of say that as a joke, but when fishing’s tough, chartreuse can turn “fishing” into “catching.” The green caddis is a pattern in that color spectrum we use to bend the rod, and it often leaves us wondering why we didn’t try chartreuse earlier.

Although I feel this is one of the easiest fly patterns to tie, I often get requests to demonstrate in fly tying classes, so I thought I would post it on this website. The green caddis is also a great pattern to get new fly tiers interested in the craft as well as fill their own fly box.

Viagra Caddis

There are so many versions of this pattern I thought I would include a few as they are pretty much tied the same, it’s just that the materials are different. Other names of similar patterns include: PM Caddis, Boogie Woogie Caddis, Steelhead Caddis and more.

Tie a bunch of green caddis for yourself and chuckle at their ease and smile at their effectiveness.

Click to skip to fly tying instructions:

Diamond Braid Green Caddis
Vinyl Rib Caddis (aka V-Rib Caddis)
Steelhead Caddis – Dubbed
Viagra Caddis

Diamond Braid Green Caddis

Recipe

Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Dyed Pearl Diamond Braid –
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black

Fly Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from
behind hook eye to above barb and back again to behind the eye.

Step 2. Tie in Diamond Braid on top of the hook – a hook eye’s distance behind the eye
(leaving room for the head). Wrap over the braid to above the hook barb and back again.

Step 3. Tightly wrap the Diamond Braid forward and tie off leaving room for the head. Tie off and whip finish.

Step 4. Using black thread, restart behind the hook eye. Take the tip of the feather
and pull back majority of the fibers and tie in between the body material and hook eye.
Select a feather so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the body.

Step 5. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.

Step 6. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.

Optional – You can tie this pattern and omit the collar.

Vinyl Rib Green Caddis

Recipe

Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Vinyl Rib – FL Chartreuse – Medium
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black

Fly Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from behind
hook eye to above barb and back again to behind the eye.

Step 2. Concave side up, tie Vinyl Rib on top of the hook – a hook eye’s distance behind the eye
(leaving room for the head). Wrap over the v-rib to above the hook barb and back again.

Step 3. Tightly wrap the V-Rib forward, snugly in front of the previous wrap.
Finish where V-rib was tied in. Tie off and whip finish thread and cut.

Step 4. Using black thread, restart behind the hook eye. Take the tip of the feather and
pull back majority of the fibers and tie in between the body materia and hook eye.
Select a feather so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the body.

Step 5. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.

Step 6. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.

Optional – You can tie this pattern and omit the collar.

Dubbed Green Caddis

Recipe

Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Super Bright Dubbing – FL Chartreuse
Rib: Vinyl Rib – FL Chartreuse – Nymph
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black

Fly Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from behind
hook eye to above barb and back again to behind the eye.

Step 2. Concave side up, tie Vinyl Rib on top of the hook – a hook eye’s distance behind the eye
(leaving room for the head). Wrap over the v-rib to above the hook barb and back again.

Step 3. Apply dubbing to thread and build a body to behind the hook eye.

Step 4. Wind rib through the dubbed body and tie off.

Step 5. Using black thread, restart behind the hook eye. Take the tip of the feather
and pull back majority of the fibers and tie in between the body material and hook eye.
Select a feather so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the body.

Step 6. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.

Step 7. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.

Optional – You can tie this pattern and omit the collar.

Viagra Caddis

Recipe

Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Ultra Chenille – FL Chartreuse – Standard
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black

Fly Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from behind hook eye to above hook point.

Step 2. Use a lighter and heat up – not directly – the end of the chenille to singe and form a tapered end.

Step 3. Tie in the ultra chenille with the tapered end pointing
towards the bend of the hook. Advance the thread towards the hook eye.

Step 4. Wrap the ultra chenille 2/3rds towards the hook eye. Tie off.

Step 5. Take the tip of the hen saddle feather and pull back majority of the
fibers and tie in between the body material and hook eye. Select a feather
so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the bend of the hook.

Step 6. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.

Step 7. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.

caddis for salmon, green caddis, green caddis pattern, how to tie green caddis fly, sparkle braid caddis, steelhead caddis, steelhead caddis pattern, v-rib caddis, viagra caddis

Mid-April Steelhead Report – Manistee River

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 14, 2015

Last week was bizarre – the steelhead came before the rain and then the rain came and has left us wondering where the fish are in the Manistee River. A few days last week fished really well with some big, bright fish playing along nicely, but lately, they have been mostly shy.

The water came up – but not too much – and the water clarity has gone from that greenish color to more of an opaque tan as the water from the Pine River above Tippy dam flushes through. Without much rain in the forecast, look for the water to clear quicker than normal for this time of year. The river currently has about 2 feet of visibility – which is enough when you consider the nature of spring steelhead’s desire to move for a fly and the temperature is in the mid-40s. Some fish are on gravel, others are moving through and others are in pocket water near gravel getting ready to do their chore. Few fresh male fish are around so look for them to come in the weeks ahead as well as more females which should mostly likely migrate after the next rain.

The best flies lately have been green caddis, stones, Fry Patterns and eggs in Golden Nugget/Burnt Orange combos and Chartreuse/Orange rag eggs. Since the water is dirtier, I have been mixing up the sizes of the flies going larger and darker as the sun comes out. With the PM and Muskegon near unfishable with high water, more boats than normal have been on the water.

Good luck,

Ted

Open April Dates: 24 & 26th

Spring Steelhead – From mid-March through early May on the Manistee and Betsie. Few dates available.
September Salmon – Dates are limited for fishing the Betsie River in early Sept. and later on the Manistee.
2015 Fishing – It isn’t too early to get your fishing trips planned for the year. Booking all species/seasons.

big manistee, caddis, fry patterns, green caddis, manistee fishing report, manistee river, rag eggs, spring steelhead, steelhead, tippy dam

Spring Steelhead Just Getting Going

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 8, 2015

We still haven’t received significant rainfall but a few fresh fish have moved upstream with warmer water temperatures while the older fish in the river have moved out of the deep winter water/holes and closer to gravel. Some days are better than others but the action has been trending nicely and improving. The forecast is promising for a much needed rain which should really encourage more fish to migrate upstream.

Steelhead have felt the magic number of 42 degrees and started to nudge around gravel although spawning isn’t taking place yet. Look for fish to be in the pocket water near gravel as well as funnels where migrating fish move through.

With the water clarity being almost too good for this time of year on the Manistee and Betsie Rivers, smaller flies and lighter line are in order. The best flies recently have included fry patterns/BTS, green caddis and eggs in orange variations. A few walleye are in the Manistee doing their spawning with the trout are gorging on their eggs.

Good luck,

Ted

Open April Dates: 24 & 26th

The Spring Newsletter just went out – click here to read and/or subscribe.

betsie river, fry patterns, green caddis, spring steelhead manistee river, steelhead

April At Last – Spring?

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 1, 2014

Our long winter is mostly gone but is keeping a foot in the door as the forecast calls for some cooler than normal temperatures for this time of year. Days when it gets into the 40s and the sun makes its way out lets us know that it is Spring Steelhead time.

Water levels are on the rise on local rivers and starting to get color to them but things are still fishable. This can change quickly after a significant rain and the smaller rivers like the Betsie are effected more. Our near-record setting snowfall has left a lot of snow in the woods and I suspect it will be a while before it is all gone and as it continues to melt expect river levels to increase. As more water comes in and water temps warm up, look for some fresh fish to move in from the lakes. Click here to monitor the Manistee River’s flow and temperature below Tippy Dam through the USGS website.

Majority of the fish in the Manistee migrated in the fall and stayed the winter. With water temps in the upper 30’s they are in a classic pre-spawn mood and are found in deeper staging water near the gravel sections and in the slower holes. Fishing isn’t what it usually is for this time of year but each day is different and after the winter, most people are just happy to be out fishing regardless of how hard one has to work for them.

I have seen some stoneflies flutter on the water making them an ideal fly pattern to tie on as are the other spring classics – green caddis, steelhead buggers, and fry patterns fished in tandem with egg patterns. Chuck and Duck/bottom bouncing and float fishing good ways to cover the water and look for fish to move to secondary lies as angler pressure increases, water levels rise and new fish migrate.

Just a reminder – new fishing licenses are required starting April 1st.

Good luck,

Ted

Available Spring Steelhead Dates: April 16, May 1-3

The Spring 2014 Newsletter just went out – click here to read or subscribe.

Steelhead -With fish in local rivers Spring Steelhead fishing is just starting up as both air and water temps increase.
Trout – May is a great time for mayfly emergences and streamer fishing before June’s Drakes, Isonychias & Hex.
2014 Fishing – It’s not too early to start booking your 2014 dates – reserve you place in the boat today.

green caddis, manistee, manistee river below tippy dam, steelhead, steelhead buggers, stoneflies

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