October Caddis (Orange Stimulator)
October Caddis are huge — up to 1.5 inches — and their emergence in fall triggers some of the most aggressive surface feeding of the year. The Stimulator tied in orange and yellow effectively imitates the egg-laying adults crashing onto the surface of Western rivers like the Deschutes, Rogue, and Yakima. Fish it on a short leader with confidence, skating it along current seams.
- Type
- dry fly (Caddis)
- Hook sizes
- #6–10
- Target species
- trout
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Best seasons
- fall
Materials
- hook: 3X long dry fly hook #6–10
- thread: Orange 6/0
- tail: Bull elk hair
- body: Orange Antron or dubbing
- ribbing: Fine gold wire
- body hackle: Brown rooster hackle palmered over body
Tying steps
- Mount a size 6–10 3XL dry fly hook; start orange thread and wrap to bend.
- Stack a bunch of bull elk hair; tie in as a tail at the bend.
- Tie in a palmered brown hackle at the rear and a ribbing of fine gold wire.
- Dub a substantial orange Antron body from bend to the 2/3 mark.
- Wind the palmered hackle forward in even spirals; secure and trim.
- Counter-wrap the gold wire over the hackle to reinforce it.
- Stack more elk hair and tie in flat over the body as the wing, tips to the hook bend.
- Dub a yellow Antron thorax ahead of the wing; wind grizzly hackle over the thorax and whip finish.