ID request from floating shucks
- Thread starter Otter
- Start date
I suspect that it's a Chironomid pupa.
Thanks very much, Taxon. Anglers who fish lakes (not me) are big on Chironomids, but I’ve rarely heard of them living in rivers. In my next life, I’ll pay closer attention!
DryFly82
Steelhead
Otter, I think you are correct on the shucks being from Caddis. The long antenna would be the giveaway in my mind. There are so many types of caddis that it would be hard to nail it down just looking at the shucks. Where I fish in BC it's usually either the cinnamon (small) or the traveler (big)...based on time of year I'm sure it's not the traveler right now.
Sometimes the fish are finicky even in the middle of a huge hatch. The biggest mayfly hatch I witnessed in my life didn't produce a single bite (usually they are lights out). In your case it's possible they were just full at the time or keyed in on the larva or pupa on the bottom rather than the adults.
Sometimes the fish are finicky even in the middle of a huge hatch. The biggest mayfly hatch I witnessed in my life didn't produce a single bite (usually they are lights out). In your case it's possible they were just full at the time or keyed in on the larva or pupa on the bottom rather than the adults.
I get excited when I see sucks like that. I'll usually fish a beadhead like you mentioned, a soft hackle gold ribbed hares ear, under an appropriate colored elk hare caddis. If they don't eat it floating tug it under. A lafontaine style diving caddis like ScottP's, although ment for the other end of the hatch, has been really good for me when I see shucks. Often my setup has all three.
they look like caddis t me
DryFly82
Steelhead
Without something to compare it to for size it's hard to be sure. If the shucks next to it were decent size I'd say the other thing is likely the side profile of a dragonfly nymph with the legs hidden in the vegetation (top profile would make it easier to identify). They are often right in on the shoreline vegetation whereas chironomids are usually a bit further out from shore.
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As far as a caddis emerger pattern to use goes, there are many, many different patterns to choose from. In theory, a traditional soft hackle in the color of your choice is supposed to imitate a caddis emerger but as usual, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.
I've actually had fairly good luck with a traditional, quill winged wet fly during a caddis hatch. And, if you can't come up with a match you can try the ol' attractor trick and pick a pattern, like a Royal Wulff or Parachute Royal Coachman, that looks nothing like what you're trying to match but for some reason trout will sometimes take it.
I've actually had fairly good luck with a traditional, quill winged wet fly during a caddis hatch. And, if you can't come up with a match you can try the ol' attractor trick and pick a pattern, like a Royal Wulff or Parachute Royal Coachman, that looks nothing like what you're trying to match but for some reason trout will sometimes take it.
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Outstanding photos, Norm!
tkww
Life of the Party
They look like caddis shucks to me. Considering the timing, I would guess these to be the Mother's Day Caddis--Brachycentrus genus, a.k.a. Grannom caddis. (Scroll part-way down the page to see a great pupa photo.) If that's the case, I would suggest a bright green pupa pattern (a google search show it's more an apple/mint green, not grass/kelly green). A La Fontaine Sparkle Pupa pattern is as good as any.
I'd say tkww is on the right track. Depending where you were fishing (as in the Mckenzie River) it may have been a hatch of "Mckenzie Caddis". Personally, I've never seen a hatch of the Mckenzie Caddis (aka Mother's Day Caddis) but I fish more below Eugene then above it.
www.inaturalist.org
McKenzie Caddis (Selected Aquatic Insects of Oregon) · iNaturalist
www.inaturalist.org
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Thanks a lot for all your ideas. The suggestions of a bright green body has twigged my old memory. I’ll tie some pupae and emerger patterns in green, and hopefully get out again and try them.
I don’t recall ever seeing those very nteresting four-sided caddis cases; just round ones.
I don’t recall ever seeing those very nteresting four-sided caddis cases; just round ones.
Caddis nymphs will use whatever is handy to make their cases. The sand and pebbles seem to make round cases. Pine needles and the like end up as squared off cases. If you put the larva in a habitat that only has aluminum foil for use to make cases, they'll use the foil. If you give them gold to make their cases, they'll use the gold. One crafty fellow was aware of the case making tendencies of caddisflies and has them working for him to make expensive jewelry:
The Ornate Protective Cases of Caddisfly Larvae
Photograph by Bob Henricks Caddisflies are an order (Trichoptera) of insects with approximately 12,000 described species. They can be described as small moth-like insects with two pairs of h…
twistedsifter.com
