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Hatches › Caddisfly
Dicosmoecus · genus
Big, hard-to-miss orange caddis that gives trout a substantial late-season meal.
Category
Caddisfly
Category
The insect or forage category for this profile.
Size
Large for a caddis; fish larva, pupa, and adults in larger caddis sizes.
Size
Typical size range anglers imitate on the water.
Key stages
Egg, Free-Living Larva, Cased Larva, Pupa, Emerging Adult, Adult, Egg-Laying Adult
Key stages
Life stages most relevant to fly fishing this hatch or forage.
Water types
freestone rivers, medium rivers, larger streams
Water types
Water types where this bug or forage is commonly found.
Dicosmoecus is a genus of october caddis in the family Limnephilidae, a group anglers know for its large size and strong hatch-matching value. Commonly called October Caddis or Giant Orange Sedge, these insects are important to fly fishers because trout will key on their larva, pupa, and adults.
Also known as: Autumn Caddis, Giant Orange Sedge
Female caddisflies deposit their eggs in clusters, either directly in the water or very close to it, typically attached to submerged structures or vegetation.
These larvae reside and feed underwater, often scavenging along the stream bottom, without constructing a protective case.
Many caddisfly species in their larval stage construct portable protective cases from materials like sand, pebbles, or plant debris, which they carry as they move.
After the larval stage, caddisflies pupate in protected spots, often beneath rocks in flowing water, transforming before their emergence as adults.
The mature pupa ascends to the water's surface, sheds its pupal skin, and emerges as a fully winged adult caddisfly.
Adult caddisflies fly near streams and rivers for a brief period, focusing on mating and reproduction before their short lifespan concludes.
After mating, female caddisflies return to the water to deposit their eggs, initiating the next generation of the life cycle.
October Caddis
One species, multiple rivers.
