Because opportunistic fish are often at their most opportunistic just
before and during the early stages of a hatch, it's extremely important
to have a solid range of nymph imitations in your fly box.
The
Black Caddis Poopah is a great nymph pattern designed with simplicity
and utility in mind. The fly is not complicated, a small strand of
chenille is burned and secured to the shank, and the fly is topped with
a small tuft of hackle to imitate wriggly prolegs. But, despite its
lack of complexity, this fly is wickedly effective when hungry trout
active pursue nymphs just as a hatch gets underway.
So, when
steelhead and trout are radar-locked into the early rumblings of that
next thick black caddis hatch, toss a Black Caddis Poopah nymph their
way. It just may prove to be the difference between 1 big fish and 10
bigger fish on the bank!
Specifications:
- A simple fly designed for effective trout and steelhead fly fishing, Black Caddis imitation in the nymph life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Check under rocks and streamside debris for dark caddis pupae and match size and color before offering a fly
- Fish on a dead drift or swing low in the water column
- Fast water and deeper pools and runs can be fantastic places to fish this fly
- 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 18
When and Where to Fish the Black Caddis Poopah
This caddis
nymph 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 water; riffles, runs,
tailouts, and current seams are prime real estate for this fly. Darkly
colored caddis and sedges can be active throughout the year, but are
especially prolific in the early spring in eastern North America and in
the west from April to May and again in July to August.
How to Fish the Black Caddis Poopah
Fish
this fly low in the surface film on a dead drift. Before you make a
cast, check underneath rocks and streamside debris for wriggling pupae,
and match your offering to the size and color of these pending
emergers. Use common swinging strategies and make sure to observe the
depth at which the trout are feeding within the water column and match
your dead drift presentation to that depth. Typically, early in a
hatch, trout will feed on nymphs and emergent caddis just above the
riverbed. As the hatch wears on, however, these trout will often key in
solely on the nymphs, emergers, and crippled emergers at or just below
the water's surface. Swimming the fly at the end of the drift can also
help to induce a strike from a feeding fish.
Black 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 or black caddis available to trout.
Most anglers will refer to a black 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.
Black Caddis Nymph Life Stage
Caddis
are most vulnerable during their pupa and emergent stages, making the
nymph stage quite important to successful trout angling on a fly. Black
caddis, like most caddis types or species, will spend long periods
prior to emergence and hatching tucked safely beneath rocks and
vegetation. These relatively low-activity pupae and emergers will often
be swept into the main drift by strong currents and high water, sending
them helplessly downstream. Trout will feed stealthily on these
defenseless morsels beneath the surface whenever they are available.
Therefore, it's extremely important to recognize when trout are
focusing their selective feeding on these drifting nymphs - catching a
hatch at just the right time can render a slow day a fantastic day in a
hurry.
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.”
