Tenkara and Trichoptera . . .
Olive Tenkara Trichoptera Larva
(ties 02 17 2015)
“The architect in the stream.”
One could make the case that bugs are in my blood. My paternal uncle, Bernard G. Swegman, has worn several hats over the course of an academic career that includes published papers on caddisflies, the trichoptera. i
Caddis patterns are a pillar of creative fly tying and effective fly fishing. The caddis dry fly can be like potato chips to an eager trout. The nymph and emerger must offer a flavor that overcomes the texture of their exterior cases self-constructed from sticks and pebbles and mortar. Yes, to me, the caddis is an architect of a stream insect.
Besides trout, wet caddis imitations make an excellent start pattern for the smallmouth bass and sunfish found in the freestones of the Mid-Atlantic region. Green sunfish, redbreast sunfish, and rock bass all take the nymph swung by structure and drifted along current seams.
One tenkara trichoptera of my own I like to swing along rock ledges and other deep bank areas. A simple larva pattern, not unlike a Poopah pattern, the body of this one appears more straight and sinuous on account of ultra chenille instead of dubbing; I also employ a standard wet fly hook that extends the ribbed tinsel body just a bit.
A tenkara rod’s greater length allows me to high stick this fly in areas open overhead where exposed clay banks are often found beside meadows. Smaller sizes 14 through 18 in olive, tan, or gray all lure fish with the olive coaxing more specimens to net on an average day
Olive Tenkara Trichoptera Larva
Recipe:
Size 14-18 Mustad 3906 wet fly hook
Olive ultra chenille for body
X-SM French tinsel for rib
Peacock herl for thorax
6/0 Green UNI-thread for wrap
– rPs 02 17 2015
i “Occurrence Of An Intersex Individual Of Psychomyia flavida (Trichoptera)”
B G Swegman Entomological News 89: 187-188 (1978)
Tenkara Takes Manhattan 
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