by Tim Flagler

Cased caddis larvae are abundant in many rivers and  streams and are an excellent food source for trout of all persuasions. For an insect in its larval state that lives underwater and is attached to rocks on the stream bottom, they’re remarkable engineers, as they’re able to create protective houses using nothing more than fine adhesive filaments spit from their mouths, and leaves, sticks, and sediment collected from the stream bed. And yes, trout do eat them, case and all. The fly you see here, as simple as it is, does an incredible job of imitating a cased caddis larva.

Recipe:
Hook: 3X-strong, black nickel barbless hook (here, a Fulling Mill FM5105), size 16. Thread/Head: Fluorescent chartreuse, 8/0 or 140-denier.
Case/Body: Pheasant-tail fibers.