brandon4455
Brandon, your onto something cool here. The insect you describes sounds like a caddis. That is a great bug to focus on when tying flies. Something fun to do is use a fine meshed net and place it below the rocks your turning. The current will sweep the resident bug into the trap. The specimens you collect can be nicely preserved in a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and glycerin. Use old power bait and single egg jars. I have a stonefly way older than you.
Having the target bug right there by your vise is handy when considering proper proportions and selecting the materials you might use.
Because your finding caddis larva, you have the opportunity to collect caddises in the 3 aspects of their metamorphosis, larva, pupa, and winged adult. With this information you can actually "match the hatch" for your creek.
I've done a bit of stone flipping when the fishing was slow. The problem I've run into is that even after matching th einsects under the rocks I still didn't catch anything....... guess they just weren't biting those days.
thanks everyone! dave get your stuff ready, trout season starts on the creek in a few months! were gunna hit it hard for those big cutties!