The Top October Caddis Flies for Fall Fly Fishing
For many anglers, especially here in Maine, seeing an October Caddis signals the tail end of the trout and landlocked salmon season. Many of our rivers and ponds close at the end of September. However there is still plenty of water to fish and opportunities to be had. Late season trout and salmon fishing can be a magical time.
I have found that the October Caddis hatch usually starts around the last week of September, specifically in the Rangeley area. Anywhere north of this is usually slightly delayed by about a week. Other than the Alder Fly hatch (Zebra Caddis) in June, the October Caddis are generally the biggest caddis seen hatching in Maine and New England. Plus, they are very unique in their appearance. Large and bright orange, they can either stick out due to their bright tone, or disappear in the camouflage of the fall foliage.
Like most caddis, females can be seen dipping and fluttering over the water laying their eggs. This is where those big and bushy bright dry flies can do the trick. However, the hatch usually happens at night, so what we normally see for adults are those hanging on to trees and at the edges of the river. Additionally, if you aren't seeing any action on the surface, this doesn't mean targeting fish with an October Caddis will be futile. October Caddis are a cased caddis in larva stage, so those stick-looking houses you've likely seen clinging to rocks in the earlier part of the season, are simply getting ready for the fall.
Here is a list of some of my top October Caddis fly patterns when targeting trout and landlocked salmon here in Maine.
Click on any of the names for more info
1. Foam Run Caddis
A high riding smaller dry fly, the Foam Run Caddis is a great solution to fishing faster pocket water or when you have a heavier nymph to suspend from a hopper-dropper setup.
2. Morrish October Caddis
The largest October Caddis dry that we carry. I have had good success fishing this fly in slower pools when nothing else seemed to work. This is also a good fly to use in a hopper-dropper rig. You can hang almost any trout sized nymph off the back!
3. Partridge & Orange Soft Hackle
This would be in my top list of best trout flies of all time. Not only because it is one of the oldest flies ever created and fished, but after all this time, it produces better than most any fly. You can also fish it essentially however you want. Swing it, drift it, strip it...trout just like it.
4. Elk Hair Caddis
5. Morrish Deep October Pupa
Time to get down...Dry fly fishing during the fall in Maine and New England can be tough. They either are all over it, or they'll ignore everything. When fish are staying down, this is one of the best October Caddis pupa (and emergers) that I've seen. Whether you are drifting it deep under an indicator or swinging it through a riffle on a tight-line, the Morrish pattern is tough to beat.
6. Flagler's October Caddis Jig
