Cicada Madness: Our Favorite Cicada Patterns
Read Time: 3 Minutes. | Published: 8th February 2024 | Author: Fulling MillIf you live in the Midwest or Southeast US, buckle up. Two broods of cicadas (XIX and XIII) will be hatching simultaneously starting in April. This is the first time these two broods have emerged simultaneously in over 200 years. The resulting swarm of cicadas is going to motivate every fish near to munch these big meals. You better get ready and add some to your fly box. To help you prep for the upcoming hatch, we want to share two of our favorite cicada patterns with you—The Project Cicada and the Megah Moodah. Both of them are purpose-built by Curtis Fry of Fly Fish Food and are some serious fish catching machines.
Curtis Fry Photo.
What does a cicada look like?
You may hear a cicada before you even see one. Typically they emit what could be described as a loud humming noise that can reverberate through the air. Appearance wise, they’re usually 1-1.5″ long and are large and stocky. They’re mostly black with gold or orange highlights running throughout their body. We’ve included some photos, courtesy of Curtis Fry, below for reference. Once you know what you’re looking for, they’re really hard to miss!
The Project Cicada
Pictured below is the Project Cicada. It is without a doubt the best cicada imitation we’ve ever fished. It has several key features that we want to note. For one, it’s made almost entirely of foam so it floats like a cork. This also means that when you land it on the water it splats down just like the real thing. As the hatch kicks off, fish really key in on this noise and are drawn to it. Lastly, it’s profile from below is perfect. It looks exactly like a natural cicada when riding in the water. It doesn’t get better than the Project Cicada!
Curtis Fry Photo.
The Mega Moodah
Another one of our favorite Cicada patterns is the Mega Moodah in black. This one rides a little lower in the water than the Project Hopper, which helps give a little bit more subtle of a presentation. Additionally, it’s excellent for suspending droppers. So, if you’re out prospecting with a cicada dry and a dropper this is a great choice. It can hold some serious weight.
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