FLYMPH FORUM

When I walked out the my car yesterday morning, I noticed the outside of my house was covered with recently hatched midges. I grabbed my camera and chased the little buggers around, until I managed to get a few pictures (and lots of blurry ones).

Anyway, as I studied the midges up close, I started thinking about how to imitate them as a soft hackle fly. I have some ideas, which I will share later, but I would love to hear and see how you would imitate this insect. I am hoping this would be an interactive post, with many people creating imitative patterns.

PHOTO 1

PHOTO 2

PHOTO 3

Amazing photos, Ray. Given the visual predominance of the wings on these little rascals, I'm guessing most imitations of the adults will be winged soft hackles.

tie2fish wrote:Amazing photos, Ray. Given the visual predominance of the wings on these little rascals, I'm guessing most imitations of the adults will be winged soft hackles.

OOPs, I almost posted pics of emerging midge patterns. I can not really think off hand of an adult that I would use a Soft Hackle feather on. I am interested in seeing how this thread develops.

Interesting points. Perhaps this is an "emerged" pattern. I wounder if it would be best to treat it as a spinner. I have some ideas, but need to play around at the vice before I am ready to share.

Please keep the comments and feedback coming. I find it very helpful and I know I will learn something along the way.

Fun idea. And just for the sake of discussion, I would say yes, the wings do appear a prominent feature, in photos, top view. But, considering what the trout sees, a wee spider with obfuscating hackle meant to represent both legs & wings works for me. I think, in this case, one turn of gray partridge would do it. I have some in #18 that I fish over buffalo midges, tried to photo to post, but can't get a decent pic... I really do need to invest in a better camera but other stuff keeps coming up...

Here's an old tried & true method, & an excellent site BTW:
http://softhacklepatternbook.blogspot.c ... -more.html

In this we see the lineage of the Griffith Gnat

I'm only familiar with the western chironomids but if I was trying to fish the adult I'd go with a parachute style emerger with the body in and under the surface film. Odds are even better if one picks the pupa to imitate. Also I primarily see the stillwater versions.

If this comes across here's a bunch of pictures of emergers, pupae and larvae: https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/ ... t&y=Search

Steve - Thanks for the link. I've had that site bookmarked as a favorite for quit a while. Great site.

Bill (zen) - Oh wow! That is a great selection of patterns. Thanks for the link.

I agree with Zen Leecher, day-in, day out, the larval phase gets the nod. Around here, most dangle them under bobbers at the lakes. I get nutty watching bobbers so I seldom do it, though I do get in a couple rounds of good surface fishing with midges (without a bobber) twice a year – a blood midge emergence at a small lake near my home, late afternoons in the early season, & again in early fall when emergences of large #16-#18 buffalo midges will get trout feeding on emerging pupae up top, on the river. If you see a lot of fish rising on midges chances are it is not the adults they are after, but the helpless emergers in the surface film. Blood midge larvae/pupa look like red worms, ¼ to 2 inches long (!), & a simple Gray Hackle Peacock with scarlet tail fished in the surface film kills when meeting an emergence. Using that same formula, here’s a hypothetical take on Ray’s midge, presuming it is olive (common) when in the pupa phase. (During emergence, the pupa retains its coloration until after the adult has completely emerged & water rinses the husk out, so tailing meant to represent the trailing ‘shuck’ of one caught in the act of emerging should be the color of the living pupa.

Hook: #18 Mustad 94842

Thread: gray UNI 8/0

Trailing pupa: olive mallard flank

Emerging wing: pearl midge flash, 4 strands, pulled over the abdomen

Abdomen: tan turkey biot

Thorax: dark gray ostrich herl

Hackle: light brahma hen (looks dark in the photo)

Thank you! I love the idea of using the tail fibers to imitate a shuck. Very well thought out and executed fly, as I've come to expect from you. Kudos, Steve.