Michigan Flies

Hatches / caddis

Little Black Caddis

A

Chimarra aterrima

Also called Black Caddis, Little Black Sedge, Chimarra.

The small black caddis that comes off with the Hendricksons in late April and May on the Au Sable, Upper Manistee and Boardman, emerging midday and returning to lay eggs in the late afternoon and evening. Emergence is slow through the surface film, so a low-floating black emerger or a soft-hackle swung at midday usually beats a high-riding dry; in the evening a #18 black elk-hair or CDC caddis covers the egg-layers. Larvae drift heavily before the hatch and are bright yellow-orange, so a small orange or yellow larva works under an indicator. On the Muskegon the black caddis is extremely heavy from mid-May through June at dusk.

#16–20middayafternooneveninglarvapupaemergeradultblack to very dark brown bodyblack wingbright yellow-orange larva

© Steven Joyner · CC BY · iNaturalist · Jasper Township, MI · 2021

Timing by region

  1. Southeast Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    Apr 6 – Jun 16
    Peak
    Apr 17 – Apr 30
  2. Southwest Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    Apr 10 – Jun 20
    Peak
    Apr 21 – May 4
  3. Northeast Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    Apr 20 – Jun 30
    Peak
    May 1 – May 14
  4. Northwest Lower Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    Apr 20 – Jun 30
    Peak
    May 1 – May 14
  5. Upper Peninsula
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    Window
    May 11 – Jul 21
    Peak
    May 22 – Jun 4

Flies that match

Elk Hair Caddis (reference photo)Reference photo
Elk Hair Caddis
I
Dry fly#10–20TanOliveBlack+2

The all-purpose adult caddis for Michigan's May through October caddis season, which Houghton's Manistee work shows peaking in early to mid July with flight heaviest an hour or two after sunset. Carry tan #14 to #16 for Hydropsyche, black #16 to #20 for the spring black caddis, and #8 to #10 orange for October Caddis. Skitter it at dusk when egg-layers are on the water.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
Little Black Caddis (Chimarra) (reference photo)Reference photo
Little Black Caddis (Chimarra)
A
Dry fly#16–20Black body, dark wingCDC black caddis

Chimarra aterrima emerges midday and lays eggs late afternoon from April 20 to June 30, peaking May 1 to 14, alongside the Hendricksons on the Au Sable, Upper Manistee, Boardman and Pere Marquette; on the Muskegon black caddis are extremely heavy at dusk mid May through June. Fish a #16 to #20 black adult or emerger low in the film.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
X-Caddis
I
Emerger#14–20BlackOliveTan

A trailing-shuck caddis that sits low in the film, matching Troutnut's advice that Chimarra and Grannom need low-floating emergers because they emerge slowly through the surface. Fish black #16 to #20 midday during the late April to June Little Black Caddis, and tan or olive through summer evenings.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
Spent Caddis (Quad-Wing)
A
Dry fly#14–20TanBlackOlive

Muskegon trout feed heavily on spent 'quad-wing' egg-layers at dusk, and the same happens on the Au Sable and Manistee when female caddis die on the water after ovipositing. Fish a flush-floating spent pattern on 6X in the foam lines in the last light from May through September.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00
Henryville Special (reference photo)Reference photo
Henryville Special
I
Dry fly#14–18Olive body, grizzly palmer, duck-quill wing

A classic down-wing caddis dry with a slimmer silhouette than an Elk Hair, good on flat water for the Grannom and black caddis of May and the Hydropsyche of summer. Dead-drift it in the film, then twitch as egg-laying females skitter in the last hour of light.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00