Description
When it’s time to get serious about catching trout and grayling, you need a fly that imitates the most important part of the caddis fly life cycle: the pupa. This stage is the final, crucial step before the caddis fly emerges as a winged adult, and it’s a phase that often drives fish into a feeding frenzy.
The caddis pupa imitation mimics the insect as it rises from the riverbed to the water's surface. It is an active, wriggling meal, and fish often key in on these helpless, buoyant insects while ignoring everything else.
The Dual-Fly Technique: Pupae rise through the entire water column before hatching. To maximize your chances, try the "Anchor fly" technique by using a heavier pupa or emerger to get your cast down to the right depth, followed by a lighter imitation. This versatile pattern can be fished as a dropper under a dry fly, dead-drifted with a strike indicator, or swung across the current to imitate the rising motion of the natural insect. It is a universal pattern that works in almost any river where caddis are present.
The Micro-Specialist – The J:son Caddis Pupa 4 in Olive Brown is a precision-engineered micro-pattern, tied on a size #16 hook. This small but highly detailed imitation is designed to match the smaller caddis species that often dominate the drift in clear, technical waters. The olive-brown color is a natural, versatile shade that provides a subtle profile, making it the perfect choice for wary fish that have seen larger, flashier flies.
Despite its compact #16 size, this pupa maintains J:son’s hallmark anatomical realism with a segmented, curved body and life-like translucency. To ensure ease of use on the water, we have designed this fly with a user-friendly hook eye, allowing you to thread your leader quickly and without frustration. Whether used as a trailing fly in a "Dual-Fly" rig or fished solo in a slow-moving pool, this 10 mm olive-brown pupa is an essential tool for the angler who refuses to compromise on realism in smaller sizes.