When to use it
- During a seasonal caddis window.
- When stage, size, and behavior agree.
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Reviewed representative comparison← Fly Box
Pattern family · guide 56
Caddis Patterns by Stage
A lifecycle guide for caddis larva, pupa, emerger, adult, spent, and skated dry patterns.
- Size range
- Match local species; the family label gives no exact size
- Colors reviewed
- olive, tan, cream, amber, orange
- Imitates
- caddis larva, caddis pupa, emerging caddis, adult or spent caddis
Caddis is not one fly. Larvae live below, pupae and emergers rise through the column, tent-wing adults ride or move on top, and spent forms create other silhouettes.
Technical illustration
Representative forms
Caddis Patterns by Stage stage map
A family-level comparison of Caddis larva, Caddis pupa or emerger, Adult or spent caddis; no single drawing represents the whole family.
- View
- stage comparison map
- Color shown
- olive, tan, cream, amber, and orange
- Look for
- larva; pupa; film emerger; tent-wing adult
On the water
Narrow the family.
The river, depth, insects, and fish behavior still decide the final presentation. These are reviewed starting points—not a claim about what is happening today.
How to fish it
- Larvae and pupae below, emergers upward, adults dead-drifted or deliberately skated when behavior supports it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using an Elk Hair Caddis for larva and pupa stages.
- Skating every adult presentation.
Variant control
Small changes matter.
This stage comparison keeps materially different forms labeled. It is a family guide, not a claim that one fly represents every stage or local species.
Representative stage forms
Caddis is not one fly. Larvae live below, pupae and emergers rise through the column, tent-wing adults ride or move on top, and spent forms create other silhouettes.- Colors shown
- olive, tan, cream, amber, orange
- Weighting
- Weight and buoyancy depend on the life stage and exact named pattern.
Review trail
Sources, rights, and limits.
Pattern facts were reviewed on 2026-07-12. Every image has its own rights record; photographed hand-tied flies may still vary slightly in proportion.