October Caddis Hatch

October caddis hatch, we have all rolled over a rock in the river and seen these little rough critters hanging onto a boulder with a shell made of small pebbles from the riverbed. My kids call them periwinkles, but these are actually the caddisfly larva that eventually emerge and morph into a large stonefly sized caddis bug with wings. This fall hatch can be one of the most exciting times to catch rising trout on a large dry fly. This past weekend I had to opportunity to fish the Methow River in northern Washington and witness rainbows going berserk after my size 8 stimulator fly during the October caddis hatch.

I noticed that on the lower stretch of the river the caddis had bright orange bellies and on the upper part of the river the bugs had yellow bodies on them. One trick I have learned over the years of fishing new rivers is to check the spider webs along the river to help determine the hatch. The right color caddis fly can be the difference between a good day fishing and a Great day of fishing.

And if you ever get a chance to fish the Methow a perfect place to stay right on the river in Winthrop is George’s River House.