Dry FlybeginnerPacific Northwest
Elk Hair Caddis (PNW variant)
$2.95
Available Sizes#10 - #16
Color Variations
TanOliveBlackOrange
The PNW Elk Hair Caddis is the same Al Troth pattern that anchors every Rocky Mountain fly box, but tied in the larger sizes that Pacific Northwest caddis hatches demand. The rivers are bigger, the currents are stronger, and the caddis are larger -- so the fly follows suit. A #12 in olive or tan covers the majority of caddis activity on rivers like the Deschutes, where caddis hatches can turn the water surface into a writhing mat of insects and the trout beneath into competitive eating contestants. It floats like a cork, casts like a bullet, and catches fish like it was designed to. Because it was.
Quick Facts
TypeDry Fly
Difficultybeginner
SeasonsSpring, Summer, Fall
Target SpeciesRainbow Trout, Sea-Run Cutthroat
Sizes#10 - #16
Best LocationsDeschutes River, OR; Yakima River, WA; Klickitat River, WA
Where to Fish It
Deschutes River
OR · Freestone River
Yakima River
WA · Freestone River
Klickitat River
WA · Freestone River
Map unavailable. Locations for Elk Hair Caddis (PNW variant): Deschutes River, OR; Yakima River, WA; Klickitat River, WA
Related Reading
seasonal playbook
The Spring Playbook: First Hatches to Full Send
Spring is the most dynamic season in fly fishing — water temperatures swing daily, hatches emerge in waves, and fish that have been dormant for months begin feeding with increasing urgency. This is your region-by-region playbook for fishing the awakening.
hatch guide
Caddis: The Underrated Hatch
Caddisflies outnumber mayflies on most trout streams, yet they receive a fraction of the attention. From the explosive Mother's Day caddis hatch to the giant October caddis of the Pacific Northwest, understanding Trichoptera transforms your fishing from spring through fall.
hatch guide
Emerger Patterns: Fishing the In-Between
Trout eat more insects during emergence than at any other stage. Emerger patterns — flies that imitate the critical moment when a nymph transforms into an adult in the surface film — are the most consistently effective dry flies in fly fishing. Here is the science and the technique behind fishing the in-between.
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