No, this isn't about romance. It's about simplifying the Caddis hatch on rivers like the Deschutes for the next couple of months. While some anglers prefer to know the families, genera, species and Latin name of a specific insect, it's really not important to most anglers. They don't care if the Caddis they are fishing is a Hydropsyche Occidentalis or an Oectis Disjuncta. Most anglers just want a fly that will work when they’re fishing, hence the KISS method: "Keep it Simple, Stupid."

To keep it simple, most of the Caddis you will encounter at this time will be a size 14 or 16. These will mostly be two shades of color. One has a light tan wing and body. The other has a dark gray wing and either an olive or gray body. By buying an Elk Hair Caddis (light) and a Deer Hair Caddis (dark) in the sizes 14 and 16 you’re ready to hit the river. Okay, so you really want to fish the riffles -- buy a couple of Soft Hackles in the appropriate shades (light & dark) and sizes 14 & 16.

While it's best to fish while you can, two other strategies will really enhance your chances for success. First, fish when the sun is not on the water. This is especially true in the evening when the river really comes to life. Second, fish up under the trees and cover with the dries, keeping your cast close to the bank and seam lines. With the Soft Hackles, swing them in the shallow riffles and around the boulders.

NOW is the time to stop reading if you really want to keep it simple and still catch fish without being confused. The flies and tactics outlined above combined with time on the water will help you have a quality outing, fishing the Summer Caddis Hatch. While the above-listed tactics and flies are solid, more experienced fishermen will want to add a few more tools to their arsenal. There are the small Dark Caddis like the Glossosoma (Black Short-Horned) and the Cheumatopsyche (Little Summer Olive) in sizes 18-20. They like to hatch in the evening and are particularly important in the back eddies and seams the big fish favor.

The use of emergers for all species can pay huge dividends. These patterns fished during a hatch can make an evening to truly remember. Flies that come to mind are the Sparkle Pupa, Poopahs and Soft Hackles. Have both the beadhead (deep) and unweighted (surface) emergers.

The use of a Diving Caddis during their egg laying expeditions is another successful tactic. Two patterns that come to mind are the LaFontaine Diving Caddis and the Soft Hackle in appropriate sizes. Diving Caddis should be fished subsurface using techniques that allow the fly to look like an adult swimming to deposit its eggs. If you see large amounts of Caddis clinging to the back side of rocks in the river, it's a great time to swing a Diving Caddis or Soft Hackle pattern through the rocks, runs and boulders.

Now we come to one of my favorite Caddis tactics. Spent or dead and dying caddis are often an overlooked part of the hatch. I've spent many an hour "hunting" redsides sipping spent Caddis in the backwaters of the Deschutes, walking the high banks, peering into the seams and flats of the backwaters, looking for the larger trout living there and sipping up an easy meal.

These are some of the most difficult fish to catch because of their wariness and tricky crosscurrents that cause that cursed drag on the fly. I use a long (12+foot) George Harvey soft leader to help my presentations.

Patterns I use include the Lawson Spent Partridge Caddis and the Mathews Spent Caddis which is simply an Elk Hair Caddis with the body hackle omitted and a single turn of Partridge around the head.

The Summer Caddis hatches on the Deschutes and other Northwest rivers are a great time to catch fish. The hatches are reliable and readily accepted by the trout. Don't miss it! Just remember -- you can keep it simple and fun with a little "Kiss."