Caterpillar Dry Fly

I’m not sure why caterpillar fly patterns aren’t as popular as hoppers, beetles, and ants, but they should be! Especially useful in waters with overhanging trees and bushes, a big caterpillar makes for a big meal for a hopefully big trout. They’re easy and fast to tie, and they float really well.

This version is tied with oversized hackle feathers, making is extra bushy, but you can also tie it smaller and sparser. I’m a huge fan of the Tiemco swimming hooks, which can also be substituted with a Daiichi 1770 or 1870 for a slightly different shape. If you don’t have one of these less-common hooks, you can of course tie it on something like a terrestrial hook.