Buckskin Caddis Fly

Overview

The Buckskin Caddis is a simple caddis nymph that Umpqua lists for caddis water and trout. Its slim body suggests a caddis larva, one of the most common foods in trout streams all year.

Umpqua calls the original Buckskin an oldie but a goodie for anglers on Colorado's South Platte, and Umpqua signature tyer Forrest Dorsey later built a jig version of it. Caddis larvae drift along the bottom whenever they lose their grip, and trout eat them steadily. A small, plain larva like this is easy for fish to accept, which makes it a dependable dropper on tailwaters and pressured streams.

How to Fish It

• Dropper: fish it below a heavier nymph under an indicator.
• Tight-line: run it as the upper fly on a Euro rig.
• Dry-dropper: hang it under a small dry in shallow riffles.
• Tailwaters: it has a long track record on the South Platte and other tailwaters with free-living caddis.

Choosing Color and Size

Size 16 matches common caddis larvae, and size 18 is for small larvae, clear water and picky fish.