Turn over any rock or stick in a freestone river and you’re almost certain to find numerous caddis larvae clinging to it. Caddisflies are one of the most prolific bugs in any water system and are easily identifiable by their six front legs, dark head and mandible, and grubby body. As water flows pick up, those six legs try to hold on but they often lose the battle to surging water and become an easy meal.

Our Quick Caddis is a dead ringer for a caddis larva. It’s tied on a larger scud hook to mimic the shape of a floating caddis, since they typically bend into a “C” shape when there’s nothing for them to hold onto. Paired with a heavy tungsten bead, dark dubbing near the thorax, and standard olive dubbing for the body, this fly has fooled many fish. For best results make sure to get this fly to the bottom of a river where caddis flies are naturally present.

Our favorite ways to fish it: 

• As the bottom fly when nymphing—the tungsten bead helps get your whole rig down faster.

• As the bottom fly in a dry-dropper setup

Type of Water: Rivers, Creeks, Stillwater, High Alpine Lakes 

Imitates: Caddis 

Target Species: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout

Insect Life Stage: Larva

Pair it with: CDC Stonefly, Hot Wire CDC Pheasant Tail, Ol’ Dirty Worm, QB Butano, Mountain Dew, H2 Flashback