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Emerger

Caddis Pupa

Short answer

The Caddis Pupa is an emerger that imitates caddisflies in the pupal stage, rising to hatch. It is usually tied in sizes 14 to 18. Fish it any caddis hatch from late spring through autumn, and especially in the hour before adults start appearing on the surface.

Emerger Intermediate #14-#18

Caddis Pupa — 5 of spades from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description
5 of spades · Emerger in the deck

Vital stage for caddis hatches. Swing at end of drift.

Printed on the 5 of spades

A caddis spends most of its life on the riverbed and only a few desperate minutes in open water. When it pupates it fills the space under its skin with gas, cuts loose from the bottom and rides that bubble to the surface. For those minutes it is defenseless and highly visible, and trout key on it far more heavily than they key on the adults skating around above.

That is why anglers who only fish the dry during a caddis hatch often catch less than they should. Splashy, slashing rises are usually fish taking pupae just under the film, not adults on it. The give-away is the sound: a caddis take is a slap, where a mayfly take is a sip.

The imitation leans on translucency and a suggestion of gas. A sparse, slightly shaggy body with a bright bead or an antron shuck reads as a pupa mid-ascent, and it does not need to be precise. Getting the depth and the rising motion right matters far more than the dressing.

What does a Caddis Pupa imitate?

Caddisflies in the pupal stage, rising to hatch.

How do you fish a Caddis Pupa?

Fish it dead drift near the bottom, then deliberately lift and swing it through the last part of the drift so it climbs like a real pupa. That induced rise is where most takes come from.

When should you fish a Caddis Pupa?

Any caddis hatch from late spring through autumn, and especially in the hour before adults start appearing on the surface.

What are the quick tips for fishing it?

  • If fish are slashing rather than sipping, they are on pupae, not adults.
  • Let it swing up at the end of every drift — do not cut the drift short.
  • Fish it as a dropper below an Elk Hair Caddis and cover both stages at once.

How is a Caddis Pupa tied?

  • Hook: curved scud/pupa hook, #14-#18
  • Bead: brass or glass, optional
  • Body: olive, tan or green dubbing with a fine wire rib
  • Thorax: dark dubbing
  • Legs/antennae: partridge or wood duck

Dressings vary by tier and region. Treat this as the common recipe, not the only one.

RS2 — 6 of spades from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description Split Case PMD — 4 of clubs from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description Barr's Emerger — 3 of clubs from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description Blue Wing Olive Emerger — 2 of clubs from The Reel Deal Deck, showing the hand-drawn fly and its description

The physical version

Caddis Pupa is 5 of spades in the deck.

All 54 flies, drawn by hand, on Genuine Bicycle Rider Back stock with the patented Air-Cushion finish. A reference you can actually deal out — which was rather the point.

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