Morning,
There's a small workshop somewhere in Bosnia - I've never been, but I like to imagine it the way all good tying rooms look: vice bolted to a worn bench, materials organised in a way that makes sense only to the tyer who owns them, and flies drying in rows that would make most of us quietly ashamed of our own efforts.
Something like this ...
Our man in Bosnia doesn't tie many patterns. He doesn't need to. What he ties, he ties perfectly.
As it's very nearly Grannom time, it's some stunning Caddis ...
If you fish the early season - and I mean properly fish it, not just turn up hopefully in a coat - you'll know what Grannom time means.
Usually somewhere between mid-April and mid-May, depending on the river and the mood of the weather. A hatch that can feel almost biblical when it comes off right. The air thick with them, fish rising with an unhurried confidence that makes you want to sit down and just watch.
The problem with Grannoms, traditionally, is that the flies representing them have been a bit ... uninspiring. Generic fly patterns with a bit of green in them, that do the job well enough but never quite feel right.
These are different.
He's tied a full selection - they're all either nymphs or emergers - as that's where the acrion usually is - all in that distinctive green that makes a Grannom a Grannom.
The detail in the wing-casing, the way the body sits on the pupa pattern - it's the kind of thing you notice when you pull them out of the box.
The kind of thing fish notice too.
Each of these exquisite Bosnian Caddis Pupa patterns are tied on AHREX & Hanak barbless hooks.
The patterns included in our Bosnian Caddis Pupa Selection are:
- The Caddis Pupa - Tied in an emerging posture that trout key on during a hatch, this pattern captures the moment when a caddis pupa breaks from its shuck just below the surface. The distinctive green body does the heavy lifting - exactly the colour trigger that fish hone into. Our selection contains 3 each of these, all tied on size 12 Hanak BL390BL barbless hooks.
- The Cased Caddis - A faithful imitation of the larval stage, weighted to trundle naturally along the riverbed where trout hoover up cased caddis with barely a second thought. The green tones woven through the body blend seamlessly with the weed and gravel of a typical Spring riffle. Our selection contains 3 each of these, all tied on size 14 AHREX FW503 barbless hooks.
- The Caddis Nymph - Fish it on the swing, dead drift, or under an indicator — this versatile nymph covers the free-swimming caddis larva that trout will take confidently throughout the season. That flash of green is no accident; it's the detail that sets it apart from the generic nymphs already sitting in your box. Our selection contains 3 each of these, all tied on size 14 AHREX FW503 barbless hooks.
Our Bosnian Caddis Pupa Selection consists of 9 flies, 3 each of 3 separate patterns:
- The Caddis Pupa
- The Cased Caddis; and
- The Caddis Nymph
These flies are all tied using the best materials and hooks in the business - AHREX & Hanak.
We are supplying 3 of each of the above patterns, that's 9 flies in total for £20.00, supplied in our eco-friendly packaging and includes FREE delivery to anywhere in the UK. I know these are some of the more expensive flies we sell, but the quality is outstanding.
Please Note: This premium Bosnian Caddis Pupa selection is very limited (we only have 35 available - I'm keeping some for myself, ready for the Grannom) and once they're gone, they're gone!
Just click on any image or button in this email to view details and buy your selection:
As ever, if you've got questions about how to fish them or when to expect the hatch on your local water, hit reply.
That's what I'm here for.
Tight lines.
P.S. If you would like to be fully preparred for the incoming Grannom, keep scrolling:
The Grannom
The Grannom is a member of the Beraeidae family (Brachycentrus subnubilus) - consisting of around 30 distinct Caddis/Sedge species found throughout the UK, Europe and Russia. These Caddis flies are known as "humpless case-maker Caddis flies". These flies are easily identified in April as they will generally be the only Caddis fly on the water. The Grannom Caddis can be identified by its smokey grey coloured wings, which can have a slight yellowish tinge to them.
Please Note: You will often see these flies referred to as either Caddis or Sedge; they are both the same and are interchangeable as far as the fly angler is concerned.
Where To Find Them
Grannom can be found in every part of the British Isles. They can be especially prolific in Central, Southern and South West England; in Wales and Northern England (Ribble and Eden), and in parts of Scotland.
As with most Caddis flies, the Grannom is only found in running water. Grannom prefer gently running water, so you do not usually find them in very fast-flowing water.
When To Find Them
Grannom usually start hatching at the beginning of April and continue through until the end of the month.
What To Look For
Grannom are well known for their prolific hatches; just take a look at these photographs as a classic example (kindly supplied to us by David Southall, taken on an early afternoon on the river Tay):
Trout will take Grannom in any one of its three stages (nymph, emerger and dry). Grannom will generally hatch during the warmest part of the day (anytime between 11am and 3pm), so this is when to try an emerger pattern. Grannom usually hatch from shallower water and don't give the trout much of a chance to intercept them on their way to the surface. This is why fishing the emerger is your best bet, as the emerging Grannom is easy prey for a trout.
A favourite of the trout is to take the adult females, in the evening when returning to the water to deposit her eggs - time to give your Winged Grannom dry flies a try. The dry fly imitations you see for Grannom usually have a green tail section, as this represents the female's egg sack.
Lifecycle
Grannom Caddis nymphs start life as a cased nymph anchored to stones on the riverbed. Grannom nymphs build cases around themselves from vegetation found on the riverbed; you will often see them referred to as cased Caddis. These cases are roughly 12mm long and only 2 to 3mm wide (just about the same as a size 14 Pheasant Tail Nymph):
The nymph then pupates inside its case and exits the case to rise through the water column and emerge on the surface. This is the point that trout usually take them (either just below the surface or as they emerge), so don't be too quick to retrieve your fly if it should start to sink!
Female Grannom return to the water in an evening to lay their eggs, and this is when the trout take them as dry flies; rise forms can sometimes be very splashy and sometimes a generic "head and tail", but if you ever see Grannom in the air, then it's always worth tying on an imitation, especially in late evenings.
From a fly fishing perspective the stages which we must try to imitate are:
- Nymphs / Emerger
- Cased Nymphs
- Adult Females
Image Sources
Header image, Cloud of Grannom & Grannom on Waders: Courtesy of David Southall - thanks Dave.
Caddis Lifecycle image: Courtesy of Cabelas (Dave Whitlock - Guide to Aquatic Trout Foods)
Cased Caddis Nymph: Courtesy of Flickr.com (Jan Hamrsky)
Flies & How To Fish Them
This email is brought to you with the sole intent to spread the information around so we can all maybe learn something.
When fishing with Grannom imitations, here are a few tips:
Nymphs - Try to target the slower-flowing water and tails of pools - the Grannom nymph is a 'cased caddis' so will build its case from detritus on the river bed, use a nymph of a similar colour to the river bed, preferably with a coloured bead if fishing in coloured water. Bounce your nymph along the riverbed.
If you would like to buy any Grannom imitation flies for your early season forrays, we do hope that you will consider us and see what flies we have to offer. If you are considering any of the above flies, they can all be found in our insect specific selection here: