Tying Johnny Utah's October caddis arsenal.

[Johnny Utah]

In this article Im going to show you my october caddis patterns. They are all very durable and excellent fish catchers. Both wild and stocked trout fall for these patterns. I will show you how to tie each of my october caddis patterns that i use. The peeking caddis, My october pupas, and a foam october elk hair caddis.


The october caddis is very large caddis species, which inhabits many northeastern streams. The larva are case builders, so a cased or peeking pattern can be quite effective for nymphing. I twist up a peeking caddis with a orange larva for this time of year and it works very well. Heres a tutorial on the October peeking caddis.

Hook in vise, start your thread and advance back to the barb.

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Take your burnt orange sparkle yarn and catch the end on fire. Let it burn for a brief moment, then blow it out, let it cool and will have a nice larva head.

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Tie in your larva, Let it hang off the back of the hook about an 1/8th of an inch. Or about half the length of the hook. Tie in your partridge feather. I tied this one in upside down. Since were going to be wrapping backwards. <tbody> </tbody> Wind on your partridge and tie it off. Clip your stem. Then advance the thread over the partridge. Take nice loose turns so you dont roll the fibers. Then bring your thread up to the bead and back down nice and tight. Take some dubbing and make a dubbin loop. Tight ones work very well, but loose ones you can trim to whatever shape you want. They also give a nice translucency in the water. <tbody> </tbody> Wind on your dubbin rope. Tie it off at the bead. Whip finish and you have yourself a very effective Peeking October caddis. <tbody> </tbody> <tbody> </tbody> <tbody> </tbody>

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The pupa of the october caddis is something I find quite effective to imitate. I have two patterns which I like to twist up for this hatch. I dont have fancy names for them, I just call one brown and the other black October caddis pupa. The brown is tied with a fluorescent orange antron body, ribbed with a silver wire. The hackle is partridge with semi-seal for the thorax area. The black is the same body, but has a black hen neck for hackle with a peacock collar. I have been tying and fishing these patterns for quite some time. I find most times the the brown to more effective. Heres a video of the brown october caddis pupa.


Heres a tutorial for the black.

Hook in vice, start your thread.

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Catching your antron yarn and tie it down as you advance your thread to the rear, Bring your thread back up

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Catch in your silver wire and tied it down, wrapping the back, bring the thread back up.

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counter wrap you antron, wrap up and back down to create a taper. Fat ones work quite well so dont be afraid to build it up. Tie down the antron and clip the excess, bring your thread on to the antron slightly

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Bring your rib up the same way you wrap your thread, nice open wraps, be sure its nice and tight. Tie off the wire and bend and break off the excess. Take the thread down to the eye and back up. Nice touching turns.

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Select a black hen neck hackle. Tie in by the butt. Take your thread down to the eye and back up. Make sure the thorax area is smooth. This will help tremendously with the next couple of steps.

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Wrap your hackle. Stroke the fibers back as you wind it on. One turn is plenty. Tie of the hackle feather and snip the excess.

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Select two peacock hurls and tie them in by the tips.

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Make a dubbin loop, Hold your loop open and put your hurls in the middle. Then twist. This will make you a nice peacock rope that is bomb proof.

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Wrap your rope to make a nice peacock collar. Tie it off and trim the excess. Make yourself a nice fat black head, whip finish.

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Add some varnish to the head to shine it up. You can skip this step. I often do.

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I fish the pupas dead drift on the bottom and also with the leisenring lift technique. The trout take it either way. Some days the lift works best. I often fish both pupa at the same time.

To immitate the adult I twist up a simple foam body elk hair caddis. Its a good hatch matcher as well as great searching attractor pattern. Heres a video



Enjoy tying these flies up and hold on tight when you fish them because will get some explosive takes. Be sure to check out my blog as I post very regularly on fly tying and fly fishing.

Tight Tyes
Johnny Utah