Michigan Flies

Flies / Larva / pupa

Green Caddis Larva

A

A Michigan steelhead staple: the green Rhyacophila larva is 'effective on the Muskegon River for steelhead' and Current Works lists caddis #6 to #12 among its top five, bright green or chartreuse for stained water and olive or cream naturals for low clear flows. Betts names green caddis larvae with Hex nymphs and eggs on the Pere Marquette flies-only water. Fish it as the trailer behind an egg or stonefly, year-round.

#6–16GreenChartreuseOliveCreamDisco Caddis (flashy)Boogie Woogie Caddis
What the pattern looks like
Reference photos of the Green Caddis Larva tied by others, shared by their photographers. Not our flies; our own product photos replace these as they are shot.

Photo © Quinn for Fly Deal Flies, used with permission · Caddis Larva

Season
Months this pattern is in play across Michigan, derived from what it imitates.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Imitates

The naturals

Fish it for
SteelheadBrown troutRainbow trout (resident)Atlantic salmonChinook salmonCoho salmon

Setups

  • Indicator nymphing
  • Chuck and duck
  • Euro / tight-line nymphing
How it's tied
A
Green Caddis (PM / Boogie Woogie Caddis). A bright green free-living caddis larva: tied natural size for trout, and oversized in chartreuse as the Michigan steelhead and salmon attractor that goes by PM Caddis, Boogie Woogie Caddis or Disco Caddis. Our own write-up of the standard tie, checked against the sources below. Recipe by Ted Kraimer, Current Works Guide Service (2015).

Materials

Hook
TMC 2457 curved caddis/scud hook, sizes 8-12 for steelhead; Dai-Riki 125 or Daiichi 1120 size 14-16 for troutKraimer's steelhead recipe uses the 2457; the Orvis trout tie uses a size 16 emerger hook.
Weightoptional
6-7 wraps of .015 lead-free wire under the thorax, over a smear of superglueFrom the Orvis trout tie; Kraimer's steelhead version is unweighted and fished with split shot.
Thread
Uni 6/0 chartreuse for the body and Uni 6/0 black for the head (Kraimer); brown UTC 70 denier for the trout tie
Body
Super Bright dubbing, fluorescent chartreuse (Kraimer's dubbed version)Kraimer's other bodies: pearl Diamond Braid dyed chartreuse (the Boogie Woogie look), medium fl. chartreuse Vinyl Rib, or fl. chartreuse Ultra Chenille (Viagra Caddis). Trout tie: sparse light olive Australian possum. Green, olive and cream dubbing make the natural colours.
Rib
Vinyl Rib, fluorescent chartreuse, nymph sizeOrvis trout tie ribs with brassie fl. chartreuse Ultra Wire; the braid and chenille versions need no rib.
Collar
Speckled brown hen saddle, one to two turns
Head
Super Bright dubbing, blackDark brown Australian possum on the trout tie, brushed out.
Head cementoptional
Head cement on the whip finish

Steps

  1. 1.Debarb the hook. If you want weight, wrap 6-7 turns of lead-free wire over the middle of the shank on a film of superglue. Start the chartreuse thread behind the eye and run a base back to above the barb and a little way round the bend.
  2. 2.Tie in the vinyl rib at the rear by its tapered end and leave it hanging.
  3. 3.Twist a tight noodle of chartreuse dubbing on the thread and build the abdomen forward over the rear two-thirds of the hook, fattest in the middle and slimming again at the front, the shape of a grub.
  4. 4.Wind the rib forward in evenly spaced turns under enough tension that each segment stands proud; tie it off and trim.
  5. 5.Whip finish the chartreuse thread, cut it, and start the black thread just ahead of the body.
  6. 6.Strip the fluff from a speckled brown hen saddle feather and tie it in by the tip, dull side toward the hook. Fold the fibres back and take one or two turns, sweeping the fibres rearward on each pass, then tie off and trim the stem.
  7. 7.Dub a short black head about the same diameter as the body, leaving room to finish behind the eye.
  8. 8.Whip finish and cement. On the trout tie, brush out the possum thorax underneath to suggest legs and gills.

From the tier

  • Ted Kraimer's four recipes share hook, hen collar and black head; only the body changes (braid, vinyl rib, dubbing or chenille). He reaches for chartreuse when conditions are hard: "It ain't no use unless it's chartreuse."
  • Kraimer's Top 5 Steelhead Flies: green and chartreuse are the most effective colours for Michigan steelhead; fish big bright versions in stained water and small natural green, olive and cream ones in low clear winter water. He names Disco Caddis, Boogie Woogie Caddis and PM Caddis as the commercial versions.
  • The Orvis/Tightline trout tie (size 16) is deliberately plain; the tier notes simpler patterns seem to work better and that a rusty brown version also produces.

Green Caddis - Steelhead and Salmon Steps summarize Kraimer's dubbed Green Caddis with the Orvis Learning Center trout tie folded in as notes; Kraimer's page gives a general sequence shared by his four recipes rather than per-recipe numbered steps. Unconfirmed: A search snippet credits the Steelhead Disco Caddis to Jon Uhlenhop of Chicago Fly Fishing Outfitters, but the product page would not load, so treat that attribution and its exact materials as unconfirmed. Who first tied the Boogie Woogie Caddis is not stated by any fetched source. Also checked against Orvis Learning Center (Tightline Productions), Caddis Larva (Green) Pattern & Tying Instructions and Ted Kraimer, Current Works Guide Service, Top 5 Steelhead Flies for Michigan.

Materials to buy
Everything one Green Caddis Larva takes, each item once: 6 items, plus 3 optional. Quantities are for a single fly. We do not sell components yet; when we do, these will link to them.

Hook and hardware

  • Curved caddis/scud hooks1 pack of 25

    sizes 8-12 (add 14-16 for trout) · TMC 2457

    Hook

Feathers and fur

  • Hen saddle1 patch

    speckled brown

    Collar

Synthetics, flash and legs

  • Super Bright dubbing1 pack each

    fluorescent chartreuse and black

    BodyHead

    Add green, olive and cream for natural colours.

  • Vinyl Rib1 card

    fluorescent chartreuse, nymph size

    Rib

  • Diamond Braidoptional1 card

    pearl dyed chartreuse

    Body

    For the flashy braid-bodied version.

Thread and finish

  • Thread, chartreuse1 spool

    6/0 · Uni

    Thread

  • Thread, black1 spool

    6/0 · Uni

    Thread

  • Head cementoptional1 bottle

    Head cement

Other

  • Lead-free wireoptional1 spool

    .015

    Weight

Sources