Happy Mother’s Day (Caddis)!

Happy Mother’s Day to all out there who mother from the Sweetwater Fly Shop gang! Hope you get outdoors with the family!

The caddis are starting to emerge in sufficient numbers to attract lots of attention on top of the water. Today would be a great chance to fish the Mother’s Day Caddis Hatch on the Yellowstone River before the fish are stuffed with bugs (and before the crowds arrive). Take Mom fishing this afternoon (let the water warm up, no need to get out early)! Here’s just a bit of advice from years past:

If you’ve never experienced the Mother’s Day caddis hatch, you really should. Just seeing so much bug life in the air, in the bank-side willows, and on the water itself is a marvel. Truthfully, it can often be frustrating fishing, with so many naturals for the fish to choose among (and to make your own imitation indistinguishable). But keep casting and you’ll eventually find some takers.

Most folks think of the Mother’s Day hatch as a dry fly event, but like most hatches it’s truly a progression. Trout will eagerly take caddis pupa patterns before (and during) the hatch itself, and will often show a preference for an emerger over a “traditional” dry fly. So why not fish a double-fly rig with a caddis dry and an emerger or lighter pupa as a dropper? And if you’re having trouble seeing your fly among the real bugs, try dropping the dry from a bigger, more visible attractor dry. Not only will the larger pattern give you a better idea of your caddis imitation’s vicinity, it serves as an “indicator” if your fly gets eaten and sometimes the fish will take the attractor itself, as if they’re tiring of the same old meal.