It showed up on time. Yep! Caddis. What a phenomenal hatch this has been. This hatch has been producing lots of brown trout along with some big numbers of rainbow trout. This hatch has offered the opportunity for both dry fly fishing as well as nymph fishing. But I must say the nymph fishing is a ton better than the dry fly catching. I’ve watched this hatch grow over the past 23 years of working this river. When I started guiding in 1995 there was not much of a caddis from the dam down to White Hole. Especially so with the sulphur hatch but 24 years later both of these hatches occur all along the river.
Usually starting downstream these hatches work their way upstream and our trout really key in on them. The caddis hatch in particular can get so heavy that the fisherman must must find another area where the hatch is not so heavy so that he can continue to catch fish. The best part of this hatch is that lots of different types of caddis flies will work under the surface. Fishing two tungsten bead flies on no or weak generation is very productive. The top fly with a 3/32 tungsten bead size 14 with another below it size 16 with a 5/64 bead is the way most fish this hatch from a boat. Swinging various flies while wading can also be very productive. I have had several report of wade fisherman doing very well with soft hackles weighted and unweighted. Generally a type of green body made with either wire or wire and dubbing. Some with a tungsten bead and some without a tungsten bead depending on the depth one is fishing.
As of this writing the caddis hatch is still going on but will soon begin to wane and give way to the sulphur hatch. PT’s and drys can be pretty good during this hatch so be ready for it when it starts. Usually towards the end of may and into June we should start seeing this bug. Hopefully the water will cooperate for this hatch as it generally has done during the caddis hatch.
Call 870-404-8906 to book fishing. June is shaping up to be a good month.
Good catching
Jimmy T.
