The Mother's Day Caddis Hatch occurs on many of Montana's rivers during late spring. This exciting hatch can begin in late April and run well into May. Freestone rivers like the Gallatin, Smith, and Yellowstone Rivers near Bozeman can experience some pre-runoff dry fly fishing while tailwater rivers like the Missouri and Madison Rivers see the Mother's Day caddis hatch as the unofficial kick-off to the summer dry fly season. While the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch isn't as universally known as our salmonfly hatches, if you are in the right place at the right time, the fishing during a Mother's Day Caddis Hatch can be some of the best of the year. Here are 3 Must Have Caddis Patterns for the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch.
Bloom's Para Caddis
The fly’s creator, Dave Bloom, honed this pattern on the technical waters of the Missouri River. Because its roots lie with picky tailwater trout, this fly takes the bacon for the must-have caddis pattern from the Bighorn to the Blackfoot. It floats well in the fast currents of freestones and its parachute post is tied in a variety of colors, which makes it easy to see in low-light conditions. It is also a very sparsely tied fly which is a big benefit when fishing calmer currents of a tailwater or spring creek. Because of its buoyancy it can also fish a dropper very effectively, making it a very versatile fly for a hatch as unpredictable as the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch.
Mercer's Missing Link Caddis
Not quite the opposite of a Bloom's Caddis, the Missing Link Caddis is designed to sit lower in the water. Linking together so many qualities of successful patterns, this fly can catch fish when you are unsure if the fish are eating adults, emergers, or spent caddis. The flash and UV thread in the abdomen imitate the air bubble of an emerging caddis while the contrasting downwings and upwings tied with natural Elk Hair and synthetic Z-Lon allow, when dressed with fly floatant, allow for this fly to be fished as an adult. West coast professional angler, Mike Mercer, created this fly from observing selective trout on the Lower Sacramento. We're thankful he did because this fly works great for the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch on many of Montana's Rivers from the Gallatin to the Yellowstone.
Super Pupa
A Mother's Day Caddis Hatch can't happen unless caddis pupa start getting active and eventually hatch. It is essential to have some caddis pupa patterns in your box in case you see caddis flying in the air, but the fish aren't feeding on them. Enter in the Super Pupa. Credit for inventing this fly can go to a variety of exceptional anglers from LaFontaine to Moorish to Craven to a Swedish guy in the 1700s. This fly can be tied in a variety of ways. It can be tied with or without a bead and in a variety of colors for the body and collar, and can include flash in the dubbing. One thing is for certain, as Montana's rivers enter into the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch season of late April and May, the Super Pupa is a fly you want in your box.
Fishing the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch in Montana in late spring and early summer is something every angler should experience. Whether you live locally and this is something you look forward to every year or you hope to one day fish the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch, be sure to have these 3 flies for the best chance at success.