I know this is a bit off-topic but this commercial from the Superbowl last night hit a little too close to home and had me cracking up so I had to share it just in case you missed it. This is one of those commercials that really gets you thinking.
Man's Last Stand
Not a car buff? No problem, just substitute the car for one of those fly rods you have been eying up. Spring is coming and you know you want one of those new 10- or 11-foot nymphing fly rods that are all the rage these days and perfect for high stick or euro nymphing and swinging wet flies.
So what are you waiting for? Are you going to man-up and get one or just take out the recycling, make dinner and watch Twilight (vampire chick-flick) again like a good boy?
Made famous on the San Juan River, Juan Ramirez shows us how to tie the KF Midge Emerger which works just about anywhere you find midges, which is just about everywhere.
Magical Krystal Flash
Ah the wonder of Krystal Flash, how did we get by without it? Remember that really cool video about the midge life cycle we featured a few weeks ago? You know the one with the phenomenal underwater camera work that showed how midge pupa generate gas bubbles to help carry them to the water surface when they are ready to emerge as an adult.
Can anyone guess what the Krystal Flash on this midge emerger represents (I know a lot of questions tonight)? Yes, you got it - a shiny, iridescent gas bubble! Such as smart crowd.
Well there's not too much more to say about this great midge emerger pattern, other than tie a bunch up - they only take a few minutes, and get out there and give them a try before Spring arrives (wishful thinking as the storm of the century descends upon the Mid-Atlantic region here in the US and that darn ground hog high-tailed it back into his hole).
A Little About Juan Ramirez
Before I go, a few words about Juan. Haven't met him, but he's a Colorado fly fishing guide for Anglers Covey and fly tying instructor for both Ghillies Fly Shop and Anglers Covey. Anybody you guides and ties flies for a living is OK in my book. You can get in touch with Juan through his blog The Hopper Juan.
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Bob Jacklin landing a 10 lb 32” monster brown trout while fly fishing the Madison River near West Yellowstone, MT. Can you imagine?
Why We Fly Fish
Is it the ever so slim chance of catching a phenomenal trophy brown trout on a size 14 nymph like Bob Jacklin’s fish of a lifetime or it is something more? Most people I know don’t get fly fishing and can’t understand why I stand in a river for hours waving a stick only to come home empty handed. If you are reading this, you understand.
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Bob didn’t go home empty handed. He retired that old general he eased into his net and rightfully so. I don’t know how old that crimson and gold beauty was but I doubt he was long for the world and a fish like that only comes around once.
Listening to "If You Ever Get Famous" by The Duke and The King on the ride home tonight reminded me to not get too caught up in life and take time to enjoy its’ simple pleasures, like wetting a line on a fine trout stream with the hopes of catching that fish of a lifetime.
Fun Fact:
The Duke and The King, a band so named for the traveling Shakespeare hustlers in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin” floating adrift on a river of chance, recorded their debut album Nothing Gold Can Stay in a cabin in the Catskill Mountains. I wonder if these guys fish?
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The guys at Trout Predator Online corralled Marc Petitjean at the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset New Jersey and filmed this nice demo of the Marc Petitjean MP Thread Through Bobbin. They are bit pricey but I just may have to get one of these bad boys. Enjoy the vid!
Aaron Jasper of Trout Predator Online shares with us three variations of a Zebra Midge in this short fly tying video. Super simple yet highly effective midge patterns that will help make your winter fly fishing more productive.
What is a Midge, Anyway?
Last Friday night, in a state of delirium and jet-lag, we reviewed the midge life cycle and I posed the question "What is a Midge, anyway?" As I surmised, the term "midge" is often loosely used by fly fisherman to represent just about any tiny fly as well as true midges. The latter comprise many kinds of two-winged flies of the order Diptera the most important of which to trout are the Chironomids. I'll forgo the lengthy entomology lesson and fancy Latin terminology as you can read that elsewhere. I'm not a big fan of Latin anyway (there's a reason it's a dead language) and I prefer to keep things simple.
Midge Fly Patterns
While keeping things simple is good, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the the midge life cycle which has distant larval and pupal stages between the egg and adult stages. Most midge fly patterns mimic these various stages and can be generally classified as larva patterns, pupa patterns, emergers and adult. What's great about the Zebra midge is that it can be tied to represent all but the adult midge.
Chironomid Larvae (photo by Eric Lind)
Midge Larvae Patterns
Midge larvae are simple and worm-like, slender in body with distinct segmentation. The head and body are not well developed and blend in with the rest of the body. If you omit the beadhead, the first Zebra midge pattern Aaron ties in the above video imitates a midge larva where a thin thread base is used to maintain a slim profile and the wire ribbing is used to imitate the body segmentation.
Chironomid Pupa (photo by Brian Chan)
Midge Pupae Patterns
In the midge pupa the thorax becomes larger and more pronounced with obvious wing pads and gills. Midge pupae patterns incorporate fur dubbing, peacock hurl and a host of other materials to simulate the enlarged thorax area as Aaron has done in the second and third variations of the Zebra midge shown in the fly tying video above.
More Midges Next Week
While Old Man Winter still has us in his grip, at least here in the eastern US where I live, we'll continue with more midge fly patterns next week and take a look at some fun midge emergers. In the meantime, if you are hankering for more fly tying videos check out our collection of over 250 videos on the Fly Tying Channel.
Happy tying!
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by The Duke and The King on the ride home tonight reminded me to not get too caught up in life and take time to enjoy its’ simple pleasures, like wetting a line on a fine trout stream with the hopes of catching that fish of a lifetime.
