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 Powerhouse Pupa – The J:son Caddis Pupa 1 in Olive Brown is a substantial imitation designed to mimic the largest species of caddis, such as the impressive Phryganea grandis (Great Red Sedge). Tied on a size #10 hook, this fly provides the significant profile and protein-rich meal that trophy fish look for during major hatches in early and mid-summer.
Using J:son’s advanced anatomical design, this pupa features a perfectly segmented, curved body and a realistic translucency that mimics the gas bubbles often trapped under the natural's skin as it rises. The olive-brown color is a superb all-rounder, matching a wide variety of species found in both rivers and lakes. With its lifelike silhouette and balanced weight, this size #10 pupa is an essential "anchor fly" or searching pattern when you need to trigger aggressive takes from large trout and grayling.