Information and photo provided by Dustin Berg and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

All species of trout appreciate a good meal of caddisflies. Across New Mexico we see large caddis hatches that cause fish to heavily feed during the warmer months.

Keep an eye out for bigger bugs fluttering in the air, and if you can catch one with your hands that is the best way to get a good look at what coloration of fly you will need to match the hatch. Caddisflies normally range in color from light brown to dark brown but can also have a hint of yellowish/green/gray.

Caddisflies start out as eggs that hatch into aquatic larvae and then into terrestrial adults. Once they go terrestrial, they are on a mission to mate and will congregate on the water’s edge in the grasses or bushes. When they land on the water’s surface to lay their eggs or crash-land into the water by way of flying mishap, that’s when opportunistic trout can be found feeding on the water’s surface.

When fishing your caddis fly, the first thing to do is try to find rising fish. If you see fish feeding on the water’s surface, they are going to be your best bet for getting a strike. Try to float your fly naturally through the lane that the fish are feeding in. Casting at an angle up stream will give your fly a longer float. If you cast your fly downstream the waters current and your fully extended fly line will cause the fly to drag in the water. A fly dragging in the water is unnatural and will severely limit the number of fish that decide to bite your fly.

Big fish can be feeding right alongside the water’s edge. You don’t necessarily have to fish in the middle of the stream or river. Sometimes the best place to fish is within inches or feet of the stream or rivers edge. Try floating your fly along the bank of the stream or river through bank undercuts, overhanging grass, and small eddies. Be ready when a fish you had no idea was there darts out from beneath its cover to snatch up your fly.

Tip: Dry fly flotant makes a big difference when trying to keep your fly floating on the water’s surface for extended periods of time. I just learned about a new flotant called High N Dry that worked excellent with my caddis flies on my recent trip.

This article was originally published by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in 2023.