Midges
Fly tying videos and fly pattern recipes demonstrating how to tie midges
[Video] Tying Al’s Rat (Variant)
From Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions comes this fly tying video demonstration on how to tie Al’s Rat or a least a slight variant of orginal fly pattern (the original pattern calls for Danville monocord in lieu of the UTC 70 thread used in this video – picky I know). What Makes Al’s Rat So Effective In a nut shell, simplicity. Developed by the late Al Miller to fool finicky wild brown trout that inhabit Little Lehigh Creek in Eastern Pennsylvania, Al’s Rat is about as simple as a fly pattern can get. Al Miller, who fished and studied the [...]
Categories: Midges Tags: Al Miller, Al's Rat, fly tying video, Little Lehigh Creek, midge patterns, midge pupa, Tightline Productions
[Video] CDC Bubble Midge by Davie McPhail
Davie McPhail demonstrates how to tie a CDC Bubble Midge in this fly tying video. The CDC Bubble Midge is a multi-purpose pattern that can represent a variety of insects including an emerging midge or mayfly to Caddis flies. The legs are optional and not necessary in the smaller sizes (less than 16).
Categories: Fly Tying, Midges Tags: CDC, Davie McPhail, midge patterns
[Video] Silk Midge by Curtis Fry
Curtis Fry demonstrates how to tie a Silk Midge which has to be one of the most simple yet highly effective midge patterns ever. Popular on the San Juan River in New Mexico, the Silk Midge is nothing more than a hook and silk thread, literally. The key is in the silk, Pearsall’s Gossamer Silk to be exact. As Curtis points out there is something near magical about Pearsall’s silk that drives fish nutty and fools even the most finicky trout. Materials List Hook: TMC 100, size 16 to 24 Body: Pearsall’s Gossamer Silk, Salmon Berry Head: UTC Ultra Thread [...]
Categories: Fly Tying, Midges Tags: Curtis Fry, midge patterns, silk midge, thread midge
[Video] Sipper Midge by Hans Stephenson
Fly Tying Video by Dakota Angler & Outfitter Hans Stephenson show us his take on Sipper Midge, a Bighorn River classic in this fly tying video. This is a simple fly pattern that packs a punch. Fish this for selective trout feeding on midge adults or even emerging midges. Tie this in several body colors- namely black, olive, grey, and cream. Fish this with just a bit of floatant rubbed onto the post and hackle. Don’t put floatant on the abdomen of the fly, which will allow the body of the fly to hang below the waters surface. Material List [...]
Categories: Fly Tying, Midges Tags: Hans Stephenson, midges, trout flies
[Video] Tying A Muskrat Midge
Bucky McCormick of Blue Ribbon Flies demonstrates how to tie a Muskrat midge in this fly tying video tutorial. Imitating Midge Pupa Trout taking pupae do so in the surface film but usually key on impaired-emerging adults, those individuals stuck in their pupal shucks and unable to escape. Patterns incorporating a trailing shuck, such as the Muskrat Midge, are effective as trout key on and recognize the shucks and readily take these flies. Muskrat Midge Material List Hook: Dai-Riki 075 Bead: Lucent Tungsten Bead, Light Purple, 1/16″ (1.5 mm) Thread/Body: Uni-Thread 8/0, Iron Grey Thorax: Muskrat, Natural Wing:Zelon, White Tail: [...]
Categories: Fly Tying, Midges Tags: fly tying midges, midge patterns, midge pupa, midges
[Video] Tying Al’s Rat for a Tricos Hatch
Aaron Jasper of Trout Predator Online demonstrates how to tie Al’s Rat, a dead simple yet deadly midge pupa pattern that works pretty darn well even in the thick of a full blown Tricos hatch. Go figure. Tricos Hatch + Midge Pupa = Fish Don’t ask me why, but a midge pupa imitation such as Al’s Rat will often take more fish during a Tricos hatch than most Trico imitations, even during a good spinner fall. On the Little Lehigh Creek in Pennsylvania, my adopted home waters and where this pattern was developed by Al Miller, the “regulars” fish Al’s [...]
Categories: Fly Tying, Midges Tags: Aaron Jasper, Al Miller, Al's Rat, Little Lehigh Creek, midge pupa, midges, pennsylvania, tricos
Tying a Sunken Spinner Trico – Video
This week’s Friday Night Fly Tying Video is brought to us by Rich Strolis and features a trio of unique sunken spinner Trico videos. Yes sunken. Tips on Tying Tricos When I first saw this Trico video I was a little puzzled by the use of the tungsten bead, but Rich quickly addressed my concern by pointing out how short and stout Tricos are, hence the bead is not all that out of proportion. Next up – tail length. The tail on most mayfly patterns is usually about as long as the body of the fly. Tricos on the other [...]
Categories: Fly Tying, Midges, Wet Flies Tags: fly tying video, Rich Strolis, trico video, tricos
[Video] KF Midge Emerger by Juan Ramirez
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 [...]
Categories: Emergers, Fly Tying, Midges Tags: Fly Tying, fly tying midges
3 Simple Zebra Midge Patterns
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 patterns that will help make your winter fly fishing more productive.
Categories: Fly Tying, Midges Tags: Fly Tying, fly tying midges, fly tying video
Midge Life Cycle and Mass Confusion
It is 3:00 AM, I just got in from a week long, rain-soaked trip to California and I am writing about the life cycle of a midge. How I ended up in this state of affairs, I’m not certain. In any event here goes….. Ok, so I’m too tired to write so I figured I’d let this video clip of the life cycle of the midge filmed underwater do the talking; pretty neat stuff, even at three in the morning. I never knew how prominent those gas bubbles were. Midge Mania and Mass Confusion I’ll admit, this whole midge thing [...]
Categories: Fly Fishing Books, Fly Tying, Midges Tags: book review, fly tying midges, midges
