Dry FlybeginnerPacific Northwest
October Caddis
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Pacific Fly Fishers
Matched on Pacific Northwest, dry flies, trout. Pacific Northwest shop with a large online catalog and steelhead/trout regional relevance.
Fly Fish Food
Matched on dry flies, trout, caddis. Strong technical tying and trout catalog coverage, especially nymphs, dries, and stillwater flies.
Fulling Mill Flies
Matched on dry flies, trout, dry. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.
Big Y Fly Co.
Matched on dry flies, trout, dry. Broad by-type catalog useful for common benchmark patterns and inexpensive backups.
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Every October, Dicosmoecus caddis the size of small helicopters emerge from Pacific Northwest rivers, and trout that spent the entire summer ignoring dry flies suddenly develop an appetite for something they can see from three feet away. The October Caddis is a big, orange, ungainly fly that splashes down on the water like an insect that never quite mastered flight, and trout eat it with the enthusiasm of someone finding money on the sidewalk. It is the dry fly event of the fall season, and for two or three weeks, technical dry fly fishing gives way to 'throw the big orange thing and hold on.'
Quick Facts
Where to Fish It
Deschutes River
OR · Freestone River
Yakima River
WA · Freestone River
Klickitat River
WA · Freestone River
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Related Reading
region guide
Pacific Northwest Steelhead: The Complete Guide
Steelhead are the fish of a thousand casts. In the Pacific Northwest's rainforest rivers, anglers swing intricately tied flies through emerald runs for the chance at one explosive take from a chrome-bright sea-run rainbow. This is the complete guide to the pursuit.
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.
seasonal playbook
The Fall Guide: Changing Seasons, Changing Tactics
Fall is when the fishing world rearranges itself. Brown trout become aggressive and territorial as spawning urges override caution. Steelhead push into Pacific Northwest rivers on autumn rain. Striped bass blitz baitfish along the Northeast coast. And trout streams that were too warm in August cool into prime condition. Here's how to fish every opportunity the changing season offers.
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