general information
Caddisfly
The caddisfly larvae and caddisfly grow, molt and constantly adjust the tube house, increasing its capacity. Having “sheathed” its house, the shitik crawls along the bottom, carrying it on itself and sticking out only its head and chest with three (some with two) tenacious legs.
In case of danger, the caddis fly crawls away into its fortress and closes the entrance with its strong head. There is no need for the caddisfly to come up to the surface to breathe, since oxygen dissolved in water penetrates the blood of the larva through the delicate covering of the abdomen. In addition, many caddisfly larvae living in houses also have tracheal gills, small bushy outgrowths on the abdomen.
For ballast, so as not to float up, caddis flies weigh down their houses with pebbles, even the shells of tiny mollusks, empty or together with a live snail.
There are also types of caddisflies, the larvae of which prefer to be not at the bottom, but near the surface of the water. Their shelters are lighter than water, as they are woven from pieces of green grass containing a lot of air.
Caddisflies feed mainly on the green pulp of aquatic plants, so you need to look for them among the grass. But there are also predators among caddis flies. Such caddis flies cannot be called shitites, because they do not weave themselves with a cobweb cover, do not stand and “lined” their houses, but lead a very active lifestyle. These caddis flies use the thinnest thread to cling to something at the bottom and stay in the current, and they also set up special catching nets from their cobweb threads. The nets, which look like funnels, have a wide hole against the current and are attached motionless to aquatic plants, stones and other underwater objects. Such caddisflies feed on the larvae of mosquitoes, mayflies and even small crustaceans, gnawing them with strong jaws. These caddis flies are not usually used for fishing. They are quite difficult to find and preserve. But you can easily collect caddis flies in houses in the summer directly with your hands. Their shelters are clearly visible in clear water. And by pulling a bunch of aquatic vegetation ashore and carefully examining it (the larvae have real “camouflage”, since the houses are built from the material that is nearby), you can also detect caddis flies and collect them for fishing. By lightly pressing on the walls of the caddis house, you can carefully pull it out of the house without damaging the larva.
General information about caddisfly
The larva has dark and light colors and an elongated body from 2 to 4 cm. Without a house, the shitik looks like a maggot. During its life, it often molts and constantly builds itself a shelter in the form of a tubular house, which protects it from attacks by inhabitants of the underwater world. After building the house, he wears it on his body. Only his head and legs are visible. During times of danger, the insect hides in its home.
Some species of caddisflies live on the surface of the water. This is not difficult for them, since the house is made of grass and wood chips, which are lighter than water.
The main food of caddisflies is algae and grass. Therefore, it is best to look for them among the underwater grass. In nature, there is a type of caddisfly that eats mosquito larvae, small ants and even small crustaceans. These are predators. But such caddis flies are usually not used in fishing.
Caddisfly catch
Caddis flies are collected in shallow water and in windows of underwater vegetation. Here, sometimes, you can collect several dozen specimens from a small underwater meadow. To catch larvae, use a net with a small mesh. Often, when you pull a snag out from under the water, you can find several larvae on it. But the easiest way is to take a stick with a flyer at the end and, immersing it in seaweed, wrap it around the stick. And then on the shore you can calmly select the required number of larvae from the underwater “wilds”. Experienced fishermen know another, no less productive way of luring caddis flies. You need to make a kind of broom from the branches of coastal vegetation. And, sprinkle it with flour, immerse it in water for about a day. And after this time, the broom is taken out and a rich harvest of larvae is selected from it.
As practice shows, the best caddis flies for fishing are large, dark greenish, even olive-colored. But we should not forget that this catchable bait, once caught, dies very quickly if suitable conditions are not created for it.
Development and habitat of the larva
The presence of caddisfly larvae is a sure sign of clean water in a lake or river. They are natural food for perch, roach, bream and many other fish species.
Until it transforms into a pupa, the caddisfly larva lives in the water or at the bottom. The life of a larva is characterized by characteristics that depend on its belonging to a particular caddisfly family.
Caddisfly storage
Storing caddis flies
If you need to store caddis flies for 2-3 days, they are stored in a wet cloth, or in a plastic box, between two soaked strips of foam rubber. The fact is that the caddisfly that leaves the house dies quite quickly. Therefore, for long-term storage, the larvae need to be laid in a row on a wet cloth and wrapped tightly on both sides, so that the caddisfly does not have the opportunity to leave the house. In this form, in a cool place, the larvae live for a month. When fishing, often, to give the caddisfly greater mobility, it is stored directly in a rag bag lowered into the water.
Having laid out the caddisflies collected in the “houses” on a plastic bag in one layer so that the larvae do not touch each other (otherwise they may be damaged when thawing), you need to cover them with a second bag and put them in the freezer of the refrigerator. If you place the larvae carefully, in even rows, then on the eve of fishing it is enough to cut off the required number of caddis flies with scissors and put them in the box in the inner pocket. During their journey to the pond, the caddis flies will thaw and be ready to be hooked.
Before attaching it to the hook, the larva is removed from its improvised shell, and if this is difficult to do, they prick it with a pin from the back, or simply break the house.
Appearance of a caddisfly
An adult insect looks like a moth of dull brown and gray color.
The front wings are covered with small hairs, this distinguishes them from a butterfly, since butterflies have scales on their wings. The appearance of the caddisfly is unattractive if you look closely at the photo of the aquatic insect. They have a round head with a mouth opening that is directed downward, and there are 2 compound eyes on each side. In addition, there are 2-3 more simple eyes on the top or front of the head, all depending on the caddisfly family. The head is covered with hairy warts protruding from the surface.
Adult caddisflies have a well-developed proboscis , as well as thread-like antennae; they are almost as long as the front wings. The insect has long legs and an abdomen of 10 segments, the wings are membranous and the front ones are longer than the back ones, but all of them can be folded into a house.
Photo of a caddisfly and its larvae
Fishing with caddis larva
There are no special secrets when fishing for caddis flies. Line diameter - 0.18-0.2 mm; hook - No. 4-5; the float is small in size, not too bright. It is advisable to use a 0.15 mm leash. This is due to the fact that when fishing with a retrieve, hooks are inevitable, so you have to sacrifice your hook from time to time. It is not recommended to use “braid”; when pulling the tackle against the current, it twists, which leads to the formation of “beards” that are difficult to untangle.
The bites, as usually happens when fishing in the current, are decisive. The float either quickly moves to the side or plunges sharply. It’s worth waiting a couple of seconds for the fish to swallow the bait deeper, and then hook. Carry out fishing in a forced mode. The fish is trying to escape into the coastal thickets, and if you allow it, it will almost certainly break away. To prevent such a turn of events, try to keep the rod perpendicular to the bank and bring the prey closer to the center of the river. The strength of the resisting fish is combined with the strength of the current, and the result is even more pleasure.
Tackle
The gear for catching caddis flies can be the most ordinary float rod. But it is much more convenient to use a one-handed spinning rod of medium length (2.5-2.7 m), equipped with a spinning reel. The fact is that the banks of small rivers and streams, where fishing usually takes place, are usually replete with bushes. Using a long rod is inconvenient and sometimes impossible. The inertia-free reel makes it possible to release the bait far enough, which allows you to fish long areas without leaving the spot. There is no other way to catch large fish in a river where the average depth ranges from half a meter to a meter. Thanks to the shallow depth and clear water, the fish notice the angler even before he has time to cast the fishing rod. Large individuals immediately retreat downstream. Maybe this is why many fishermen believe that serious people have absolutely nothing to do on the banks of small rivers. Having tried fishing in such places a couple of times and having caught a dozen roach and perch, such specialists never return here again. Meanwhile, a river that is inconspicuous at first glance can present us with trophies that we can only dream of on a big river.
Swim fishing with a ball-shaped float is effective for catching trophies in the upper layers of reservoirs. The method has several advantages. The transparent ball-shaped float does not scare away the fish, and the bait is presented very naturally. The method is ideal for sport fishing on riffles.
Methods for planting caddis flies
Methods for attaching a caddis fly
There are two ways to attach a caddis fly to a hook. In the first case, the larva is pierced through with a hook under the head, similar to how bloodworms are placed on the hook of a jig during winter fishing. In the second, the hook is hidden completely in the body of the larvae, this is how a dung worm is usually attached in the summer. The first method is preferable for active biting, the second for sluggish biting.
Using bait
Using bait often does harm instead of good. A strong current washes away the food and carries it far down, and the fish naturally follows. To attract fish, you can crush several houses with larvae and throw them into the water. Usually this is enough. The operation can be repeated after 10-15 minutes.
Finding a place to fish for caddis flies
You should look for fish in relatively calm water, but close to the main stream. Small places where the current is quite strong, and deep pools in which there is little food are unpromising. As mentioned above, the fish feeds very actively, but the energy spent during spawning has not yet been restored. Therefore, roach, perch, and chub stand in shelters and from there rush at prey passing by. The best places are exits from rifts, pitfalls, snags, and river turns with a reverse flow. It is more correct to move downstream and, having discovered a promising place, throw the bait into the water and let the current float it to this place. If after two or three casts there is no bite, move on. Try to follow the basic rules of camouflage. You don’t need to crawl on your bellies and hang branches on your head, but you shouldn’t run along the shore waving a fishing rod either.
After you have managed to catch several fish in the same place, change the fishing location. The big fish have already left here anyway, and the small fish are not what we go fishing for. If there are several good places at a short distance from each other, it is worth fishing them in turn. We start from the top one, fish for 15-20 minutes, move on to the next one, etc. It makes sense to stay longer only if the bite is active and the size of the prey suits you. Having fished at the very bottom, we return back, but not along the shore, but at some distance from the water, so as not to scare the fish. All this disguise may seem funny to some, but without it you can hardly count on luck.
Fishing in winter
The value of bait increases several times in winter. Although production becomes more difficult. But by using some tricks, you will always have fresh material for fishing. The larvae of caddis flies and many semi-aquatic insects overwinter at a depth of 2-3 meters. With the help of special traps, it will not be difficult to obtain them constantly.
Fishing for caddis
Before you go fishing, you need to prepare the appropriate gear. To do this you will need the following components:
- Fishing rod with a large float. Some anglers prefer to use a spinning rod. There is an inertia-free reel here that allows you to quickly reel in excess fishing line;
- A net for catching prey. It will allow you to quickly pick up your catch when pulling it out of the water.
