Egg-Laying Caddis: When to Skitter, Drift, or Go Under

Fish an egg-laying caddis with movement when natural adults are skittering, a drag-free drift when spent insects lie still, and a submerged presentation when trout are taking caddis below the surface. Returning females do not all behave the same way, so watch the insects before choosing how to move your fly.

Start by watching the adults

Caddis often mate away from the water. Females return to deposit eggs, sometimes on the surface and sometimes below it. That return can produce good fishing even after the main emergence has slowed.

Look for adults tapping or running across the water, exhausted insects drifting motionless, and trout feeding without taking the adults you can see. These observations help separate egg laying from the earlier emergence covered in our caddis life-stage guide.

Skitter when the naturals move

Begin with a natural drift. If trout are chasing active adults, try a short twitch or brief skate, then let the fly drift again. The aim is to suggest the movement you are watching, rather than pull the fly continuously across the pool.

An Elk Hair Caddis is a useful buoyant adult pattern for this approach, especially in broken water. Match its size to the caddis present.

Let spent females drift

After laying eggs, some females become exhausted and float helplessly. A fly skating through these still insects can look wrong. Make the cast easy to control, keep line pull off the fly, and let it travel with the current.

When olive caddis are present, our Egg Laying Caddis provides a relevant adult option. The pattern name is a starting point; the natural insect's size and the way your fly rides still matter.

Look below the surface, too

Some caddis females go underwater to place eggs, while other adults get pulled below. If surface presentations draw no interest and you can see trout feeding underneath, try a wet fly at that level.

The Caddis Wet Fly gives you a submerged option. Start with a controlled drift; test a gentle swing when movement fits the activity. Browse the Caddis Dry Fly Collection to pair that wet fly with an adult pattern for your next evening on the river.