In the Fall, on the Owens River and the East and West Walker Rivers, there is a hatch of Grannom Caddis that is often overlooked – given the hatches of Baetis that are popping up all over the place and the angler’s urge to smack something of historic proportions on streamer patterns…these little guys are known to the Trout and account for a great deal of my early Fall hook-ups…These Caddis run in the size # 18 and sometimes, # 20 category, depending on location. I always have a batch of patterns to match these little insects…
A perfect Fall day, on the Lower “O” …the scene is set…for Grannom…
Here are three simple and very effective Serendipity patterns I use:
GUIDE SERENDIPITY
HOOK: TMC 5262 #18, TMC 3761 # 20, Daiichi 1560 # 18
THREAD: Gordon Griffith 14/0 sheer, Black
BODY: 1/3 Strand Chartreuse Zelon or 1/2 strand spooled Antron, twisted
WING: White Zelon
NOTE* Sometimes I will mix in a strand of Pearl Krystal Flash or Olive Krystal Flash
Nice Grannom water on the Lower Owens River…
TAN/ CREAM GRANNOM CADDIS
HOOK: TMC 5262 #18, TMC 3761 # 20, Daiichi 1560 # 18
THREAD: Gordon Griffith 14/0 sheer, Brown
BODY: 1/3 strand Tan Zelon or 1/2 strand cream or tan Antron
WING: White Zelon
NOTE* I will sometimes mix in a strand of Pearl or UV Tan Krystal Flash...yeah, I run into this color too…
The Owens River in the afternoon in late Fall day…don’t be seeing any Baetis here…
CHARTREUSE/BLUE WIRE SERENDIPITY
HOOK: TMC 5262 #18, TMC 3761 # 20, Daiichi 1560 # 18
THREAD: Gordon Griffith 14/0 sheer, Black
BODY: Danville 504 Flymaster, 6/0 nylon
WIRE: Wapsi Ultra Wire, Blue, xsm
WING: White Zelon
A little history behind the above pattern:
I was coming up to this spot on the Owens River, below Five Bridges, one fine Fall day, when I spy this fellow on the opposite bank flippin’ hardware into the top of the pool…over there where the stump is. I sat down, back into the tules, on a sand bar and watched him run his Mepps spinner back up through the pool, across the pool and finally, perpendicular to the pool…NADA. He spotted me. I asked him if he had any luck. “Nope”, he replied. “Wanna’ try it”, he asked. I responded that I would give it a couple of minutes before placing my bug in the water. I cracked a can of COKE and waited patiently for things to quiet down. Presently, after about 20 minutes, I moved up to a position directly across from him and began casting the above pattern into the water above the pool…I took and released eight nice Rainbows and Browns, none of which was under 14 inches, ten feet from where he was sitting. Finally, he couldn’t stand it…”What are you using”, he asked? I moved through the shallow water at the top of the pool and put the Chartreuse/Blue Wire Serendipity into his hand…”I gotta’ learn how to fly fish”, he said….another CONVERT…
I have been known to hang one of these off the bend of a Bugger or Streamer…heh, heh…
PT/TB 
PLANETTROUT: Fly Fishing, Fly Tying and LIFE
Never bored, always busy, you are, Tim. I like the Serendipities, but never have tried it in Chartreuse & blue. Always enjoy the dialog that go with your presentations.
Out of curiosity, how many boxes of flies do you have filled up? I’m starting to use the BIG Plano multi compartment trays, filling them with fly patterns you keep posting. Its fun!!!
Thank you Keith…
I use the Myran 12 compartment boxes…I am anal in the respect that if I have it laying next to my tying station, I gotta’ fill it…When I was at The SPOT the other day, Ken’s wife asked me how many flies I have…thought for a minute and replied, “Around 40,000″…Must keep tying, Grandson baking!!! (It’s better than boiling sheets)
That little Chartreuse/Blue Wire is a killa’, in the Spring, on the Owens, in # 16, during the Mother’s Day Hatch…
Best…you Bassin’ Guy
PT/TB
Tim,
Got a grandson baking, too. Should be done the first week of October. Not sure If I’m ready for the GrandPa thing yet. Sounds….soooo old!!!
What’s your fav patterns for fall on the upper “O” and EW? Might be heading that way next week. I was up there in July and did well on the O, euro nymphing ala Aaron Jasper (TPO). Used that hi-vis slinky very effectively on my new Grey’s 10′ 3wt StreamFlex rod.
If you ever run outta room in ‘dem Myran boxes, I’d be happy to take the overflow from ya
Well..think I’ll go tie up a new batch of “That little Chartreuse/Blue Wire killa’”
keith
Keith…
Ahhh…Fall on the East Walker…I like to use a Shop Vac in # 18- # 20 around now, in there…and don’t tell anyone about THIS if the water is off color or murky:
http://www.flyline.com/fly_patterns/streamers/goblin/
Think yellow bunny strip and Black Hackle and body…
Rs2′s, Wd-40′s, JuJu Baetis, Hot Spot Midge, Red Serendipity and Bat Wing Baetis…Check da’ bushes…those over hanging willows…
PT/TB
I like the Goblins, too. Another successful pattern when the perch fry get about 2″-3″ long is Whitlock’s Near Enuf sculpin. AND… a bright FL pink, red, or shrimp flexifloss SJW with hot spot bead. I’ve used most of your suggestions, except the Bat Wing. Haven’t tied them up yet.
Got a dozen of the #18 Chartreuse/blue wire killa’s done already. Quick easy tie. Used a cotton chartreuse thread which looks like its been lightly touch-dubbed. Now for the #16′s…and a few tans, too
keith
Tim,
Have you noticed any difference in catch rates with patterns using zelon vs antron? I’m just getting started with the zelon materials and don’t have much data to support either. WHen tying with the zelon, especially the serendipity, are you using the crinkled or straight zelon? Is BRF the only outlet for zelon? The antron seems so much softer and easier to work with, IMO
keith
Keith,
I also use Antron, the spooled version, for a lot of my serendipity bodies, it comes in a wider variety of colors. For the wings, I stick to straight white Zelon from Metz. BRF, and specifically, Craig Matthews, cornered the market on Zelon back when dino’s roamed the earth. They dye their own and it comes in a wide variety of colors, textures and diameters. I need to take a U-Haul up there and pick up ALL the stuff I want from Craig’s Shop. The Metz Zelon is available here in the SF Valley at the Fishermen’s Spot and at Bob Marriotts, in both crinkled and straight versions…
Walter Wiese, a top tier at Parks Fly Shop in Gardiner, MT. swears by this stuff, which is cheaper than Zelon, providing the same effect:
http://www.montanafly.com/mfc_tyingmaterials/window_web.html
I am also going to get my hands on some of this stuff for winging…only place I have found where it is available…GLF used this CLEAR Antron…
http://www.thebookmailer.com/Supplies/ClearAntron/clearantron.html
PT/TB
I’ve got most all of the colors of the antron dubbing and yarns from the bookmailer, including the clear, hence the reason for my query. Although, I like the bug specific colors that BRF offers. I got a couple of their assortments, just recently. Haven’t tried the stuff from Montanafly.com. Seems like i’m accumulating entirely too much stuff…but it’s fun.
Need to be spending more time on the water, using it, though
PT,
What do you know about October Caddis in the Eastern Sierra? I’ve found large cased caddis, which I believe to be October Caddis, in Bishop Creek and the Gorge. Haven’t seen many Grannom in the Gorge.
buffalo760,
Seen ‘em on the East Fork of the Carson and West Walker Rivers,,,I use a pattern similar to this:
http://www.west-fly-fishing.com/fly-pattern-recipe/wet/fuzzball.shtml
When they are present… I have caught some nice fish in the lower canyon section of the East Fork of the Carson, below Markleeville, on larva imitations, when they are drifting… in July, using a cream larva imitation:
http://www.west-fly-fishing.com/entomology/caddis/october.shtml
In my experience, I see them on freestone waters rather than the tail waters…
Most of the Grannom I see are on tail waters…like the Lower “O”…not so much in the humping “Gorge”…
I will get around to putting up some October Caddis patterns one of these days…before next OCTOBER…
PT/TB
I like these caddis emergers. Thanks for the post, I’ll have to try them in utah. I was using a soft hackle yesterday and it slayed them. I bet these patterns would also work well on the swing? have you notice?
UFFG,
All of these are variations on Craig Matthew’s, Guide Serendipity. They work dead drifted and on the swing…I tie an Amber and Olive version with KF twisted into the body…that slays in the Spring…these are simple and very effective…
Thanks !!!
PT/TB