Umpqua Smitherman's Twisted Caddis Pupa Fly

Overview

The Twisted Caddis was designed by Umpqua signature tyer Josh Smitherman to imitate a caddis pupa rising to hatch. Its abdomen is twisted Spanflex, which Smitherman picked because it is durable and slightly translucent, like the body of a real pupa.

A CDC thorax and collar give it a soft, buggy look and move in the current, and a pair of small rubber antennae finish the profile. It is weighted with a brass bead and lead wire, so it sinks well without being so heavy that it drags along the bottom, which suits it to the middle of the water column where pupae swim up.

Euro Specs

• Bead: Brass.
• Hook: Tiemco 200R curved nymph hook.
• Role: Dropper, below a dry or above a heavier anchor fly.

How to Fish It

• Dry-dropper: hang it 12 to 18 inches below a caddis dry during a hatch.
• Swing it: at the end of a drift, let it rise and swing like a pupa heading for the surface.
• Nymph rig: fish it as the dropper above a heavier anchor fly before the hatch starts.
• When to fish it: during small caddis hatches, often in the evening from spring through fall.

Choosing Color and Size

This listing is the Tan color, a match for many common caddis. Choose 18 for most small caddis hatches and 20 for the tiniest caddis or very selective fish.