Wilcox's E.L.C. (egg laying caddis) - Caddis Green

Many caddis will deposit their eggs on the surface as well as dive into the water to reach the substrate of which they wish to attch their eggs to. These are particularily effective when fishing slow moving flats and spring creeks when the fish have plenty of time to get a good luck.

How to fish Wilcox's Egg Laying Caddis:
Dry:
            The Egg Laying Caddis, or E.L.C., is designed to represent the stage of the caddis lifecycle when they return to the water where they will lay their eggs to ensure the future generation of caddisflies. Many anglers are under the misconception that there is a “hatch” occurring when they see the mature females returning to the water bobbing up and down and diving into the water in what is known as ovipositing, which most often will occur sometime in late afternoon to early evening. This can be one of the most exciting stages of the hatch to fish if you are prepared. Looking in and on the streamside vegetation early in the afternoon will provide you a sneak peak at the size and color of caddisflies that will be participating in the ovipositing later that afternoon and evening. The sloping hook style of this pattern allows the egg sack to hang in the water while the CDC and standard hackle at the thorax provide additional floatation and give the fly a perception of motion on the surface. You will also notice a small set of antennae since trout in still waters and calm flats tend to be more selective in their feeding and demand patterns that are more accurate.

 Dry-Dropper:

            Since ovipositing will most often coincide with multiple species hatches, I find that fishing an E.L.C. in a tandem rig with another species will increase the odds for success. If there are mayflies present, try fishing the E.L.C.  in tandem with a mayfly pattern like my Low Rider or Micro Mayfly tied off the bend of the hook using 30 to 36” of the lightest tippet possible. (I like to use 5X to 7X depending on the size and weariness of the fish I'm casting to) Dropping a smaller nymph off the bend of the hook like the Little Green Machine or one of Hogan's Sippers using 24 to 36” of light tippet can also be a tremendously effective method when mayflies and midges are present. Females returning to the water to lay their eggs will most often dive or crawl down streamside vegetation and rocks to deposit the eggs along the riverbed, which makes fishing these wet another excellent method. I strive to create patterns that can be fished during multiple stages within a hatch with equal success. Modifying the technique you use can give you additional weapons without having to switch patterns, try adding weight to the tippet 6 to 8” above the fly and fishing it as a dropper beneath a larger dry like the JC Special or in tandem with another nymph.

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