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Video on why and how to tie the Midge-May Be: https://youtu.be/qk5DegDRtnU A midge to Baetis crossover pattern with trident tails like seen on Baetis mayflies but tied with a downwing like a midge. The Midge-May Be has a body profile that suggests both insects--that is--- a segmented yet thin abdomen leading up to a leggy thorax. The fly also introduces a new wing material, CPE, that has a milky translucency like that seen on both naturals, yet is durable and tear-resistant. Besides being a crossover pattern that has features of two insect families, the Midge-May Be is also designed to lay flat down in a depression it makes on the water surface as well as dimpling the surface film--like the phantom midge does in the video. The Baetis-like tails are thought cross over to look like the legs of a midge--midges who hold their front legs out in front of them like antennas. The tail/legs are thought important to the flies performance is that the tails and palmered fly body press into the film, depressing it and, at the same time dimpling it. Depression and dimpling of the film is thought to be an early visual clue to a trout that food may be floating towards them. Recipe Hook: I use a wide-gape dry-fly hook. Like a Firehole 419 light wire 2x gape hook or a Tiemco 100 sp-bl heavy wire 1.5x gape hook. Hook Size: Because the Midge-May Be is a midge and Baetis mayfly crossover need hook that spans the size of both those insect families. In the Central Rockies, river-based midges roughly span a size from 18 on down. Baetis span a size range of about 16-24. The crossover is about size 20 but can be a size 18 in the spring when the hatching insects tend to be larger. In the Fall, If needed, I fish it in a size 22 or 24. I don't tie this fly below size 24, because such small hooks often require playing the fish to exhaustion to land it. Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk 20D black. I keep the body as thin as possible because midges and Baetis both have a thin abdomen tapering slightly up to a rounded leggy Thorax. I tie in the thread and wind it using side by side wraps back the hook bend where I lash in the tails. Tails: I cut off three straight hairs from patch of moose body, even the tips up, and lash them at the hook bend projecting out at a length equal to the hook shank. I then pass the thread between hairs and pull to flair them out into a trident-like array. The tails are important to this flies performance. First of all, the tails act as outriggers to help the fly land upright on the surface film as well as by adding flotation help keep the fly floating parallel to the water surface. Second, the tails suggest midge legs or Baetis tails-- a key crossover feature because while midges do not have tails-- many species hold their front legs out front of them in an antenna-like way. In any case, trout don't seem to care/know which end is which on a tiny fly, nor can they count the number of tails/legs so its not unreasonable to expect they could be taken either as tails or legs. Finally, the tails/legs are thought important to the flies performance in that the tails press into the film, depressing and dimpling it making an early clue to a trout that food may be floating towards them. The palmered hackle on the fly body, tied in next, adds to the dimpling effect. Body: Palmered grizzly hackle trimmed flat-- reverse Mohawk style -- so fly is lays flat and low down in a depression its made in the film --as well as further dimpling the film -- again as shown in the video-- common for midges and mayflies lay low in water. The stem of the palmered hackle makes for a segmented abdomen like seen on both midges and mayflies. Further, the palmered hackle trimmed flat sitting under the translucent wing used here makes for a diffusely-lit fuzzy bodied fly-- which by the response of the fish--is thought to be alluring to trout. Wing: For wing material, I use strips cut from a frosted CPE (chlorinated polyethylene) bag. You can buy 4 mil thick bags from Ebay for $9/100. CPE is a durable, tear-resistant lightweight plastic. CPE's frosting lets a diffuse light through unto palmered hackle-- lighting up the body like would happen on the naturals. If needed, I use a strip cut from the bags welded seam to make a stiffer doubled wing. The strip is cut to about 2mm wide and 10-15 mm long for ease of handling. Before lashing in the wing, I make several winds of thread just behind the hook eye to make a platform for the wing so that it is not wedged upward by the thickness of the palmered hackle. This platform allows the wing such to project more or less parallel to the the flat-cut hackle and hook shank. Trim the wing into a V-shape and a length just short of hook bend after lashing it in. Double Whip finish.
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This fly was originally created by Lance Egan, and is one of the best attractor patterns Ive ever fished. It's flashy, bright, and effective. I love fishing this as my lead fly, then drop to something a bit more realistic behind it. My favorite flies to drop behind this are the RS2, Pheasant tail, or black beauty. All of which can mimic midge or Baetis pupa and emergers quite well. So this fly can also be tied with a glass bead, and I believe originally it was created this way. However I like using brass beads here because it gives the fly a bit more weight, and I really like using this as my lead fly, to help other flies sink better. The flashiness of this fly really helps attract trout up to it, but many times I find they will strike the tailing fly instead of the rainbow warrior. This does not mean its not effective, just the opposite. It is very effective to get the fish moving out of their hole, to come take a look, but they elect to strike the less visible, and more realistic fly trailing it once they are close. As always I am listing all the materials used on this fly. Hook: Firehole sticks #317 in size 18 Thread: Veevus 10/0 in Red Tail: Natural Pheasant Tail Fibers Abdomen/wing case: Large sized Pearl Tinsel Dubbing: Tan Laser Dubbing Head Cement: Hard as Hull Original
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The Matts Midge is really effective for tailwater trout who are very picky with size and look of flies. These things really do look like little midges flying around. I even once had one fall out of my box and landed on my waders without my knowledge, I looked down later and instantly grabbed for my dry flies thinking the midges were hatching. LOL. They are excellent little flies that perfectly mimic a tiny midge. I regularly tie these from size 20-26. I have been known to tie down to 28, but thats as far as I go. I do know a couple brave souls with better eyes than I have, that tie them down to a size 30. So they can be tied small, and this is important when fishing picky tailwater trout. For instance at the San Juan river. This river has trout that are willing to come up and nip at your waders, however will refuse a fly sized 22 if they are targeting size 24. They have learned that they cannot get away from humans on this river, but they can pick and choose what size (and look) of fly they bite. These little matts midges fool them quite often, more often than other dry flies I have seen on that river. And best thing of all, they are one of the easiest dry flies to tie. As always I am including all the materials I used on this fly. You can change up the materials to what suits you, just this is specifically what I used. Hook: Daiichi 1110 size 24 Thread: Black Veevus 16/0 Wing: White CDC Oiler Puff Hackle: Black Whiting or Metz rooster cape Head Cement: Hard as Hull
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The RS2 is one of the more simple, yet effective flies out there. Especially for tailwater rivers that require small presentations. This fly looks great all the way down to size 26, and is relatively easy to tie in that size. But you can also fish them up to size 16 or possibly even larger if you so choose. The fly has a limited amount of materials, and once you get the hang of tying these, you can nock them out pretty quickly. They can mimic a midge emerger, or even a baetis emerger deepening on the color and size you tie it. Common colors are black, brown, gray, and olive. Also they can be tied in two tone as well. Build your body with one color dubbing, then add the wing, then make the head with another color dubbing. Gives an interesting look. Try gray/black, olive/brown, and white/black. Or get creative and make your own combo. So I am using a dry fly hook for this, as I like the CDC to actually keep this up off the bottom. How I fish this is behind another fly which is weighted, to keep it down on the bottom, then this fly rides up higher to look like a bug emerging. However if you want this closer to the bottom, you can tie it with a heavier wire nymph hook, and even add some weight with some lead wire if you so choose. But be careful about adding too much lead as it will bulk up your fly. Hook: Daiichi 1110 size 20 Thread: Black Veevus 16/0 Tail: Clear Microfibetts or Mayfly Tails Dubbing: Black UV2 Fine and Dry Wing: White CDC Oiler Puff Glue: Hard as Hull Head Cement
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So this fly is relatively easy to tie, except for splitting the thread. You really need to use a thread like UTC Ultra Thread which is very flat and splits easily. These flies dont float quite as well as some other CDC flies out there, but they float well enough, and are perfect for a hopper dropper, or larger (better floating) fly as the lead. Its a very effective fly for those trout looking to feast on smaller midges and baetis emerging. As always here is a list of materials used on this fly. Hook: TMC 100bl in size 16 Thread: UTC Ultra Thread 70 in brown Body: Turkey Biot in Olive Hot Spot: 2mm Fly Foam in Red Wing: CDC in natural dun Cement: Hard as Hull head cement
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CDC is one of my favorite materials for emergers or dry flies when tying small tiny flies. Buying hackle that small can cost a fortune, but CDC tends to be better priced. And you can save the tip ends and use them for dubbing, or other techniques with emergers and dries. This fly takes a few things from other flies ive seen and combines them to form this flashy and effective fly. The CDC wing sits right at the surface of the water film, with the rest of the fly hanging down into the water, enticing trout to bite. This was one of my most effective flies on my last trip. As always here is a list of materials I used on the fly. Hook: Firehole sticks #317 in size 20 Thread: Veevus 10/0 in black Tail: Polyproplene yarn Ribbing: 1/100th pearl flashabou Hot Spot: Yellow Goose Biots Floating Wing: CDC feathers in black Dry Dubbing: Superfine Dubbing Black Flash Dubbing: Ice Dubbing Peacock Resin: Solarez "Thin Hard" Resin Usually I epoxy the head of the fly, but I did forget this time while filming. I will paint on some thin resin, then whip finish the resin into the head. Then cure it. You could do the same with any head cement.
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- emerging baetis
- emerging midge
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You need a flashy annelid pattern? Well look no further! About as flashy as it gets right here! Bright, noticeable, great for off color water, or just to make a statement! HAHA I use these as attractors. They work well like that. Then I drop a more realistic pattern behind it. They are easy and quick to tie, and quite effective. What more could you ask for? Materials used: Hook: Daiichi 1273 in size 22 Thread: Veevus 16/0 in red Body Wrap: Hot Yellow Pearl Krystal Flash Dubbing: Hairline Rabbit Dubbing in red Cement: Hard as Hull
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This is a fly I created specifically to fish the San Juan River during a time of the year that the water turns off color. The San Juan River, for those of you who do not know, is a tailwater. And the lake above will turn over in the winter, and turn the water of the river a bit cloudy. During this time, I find a flashy fly will work really well. Most of the year, we fish tiny midge pupa (24-28), but this time of year you can fish a little larger, since the fish are less spooked by size of fly. So this I like to tie in size 18-22 depending on needs. Here is a list of materials I used on this fly. And links to where you can purchase them online. Hook: Daiichi 1273 in size 20 Thread: UTC Ultra Thread 70 in Black Flash: Flashabou in Red Ribbing: Micro Tubing in Clear Head Cement: Solarez "Bone Dry"
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The Disco Midge is a great fly for fishing slightly off color water. Its flashy enough to catch the trout's attention, and not too flashy to scare them away. For instance, my local tail water (the San Juan River) will get cloudy in the winter due to the lake above turning over. This is the time I start using flashier flies like this disco midge. Hook: Lightning Strike SE7 in size 24 Thread: Veevus 16/0 in black Wrap: Fine Flashabou in Pearl Dubbing: Super Fine Dubbing in Black
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- disco midge
- midge
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The bling midge is one of the more popular flies on the San Juan river. I generally tie it in black, but it is effective in gray, brown, cream, and a variety of other colors. Its easy to tie, and very effective when trying to mimic a midge. The flash collar attracts fish, and also acts like a wing case. While I am tying this very small, it doesn't have to be tied this small only. For the San Juan River, I generally fish a size 22-26 size midge pattern, but other rivers might allow for larger midges and therefor easier to tie and fish. Hook: TMC 101 size 22 Thread: Veevus 16/0 in Black Flash: Pearl Flashabou Resin: Solarez Bone Dry UV Curing Resin
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RS2's are staples in most nymph fishermans box. They are very versatile, and can resemble many types of bugs. From baetis to midges, these are awesome emerger flies. They are very easy to tie, and quite effective. Two qualities that make amazing flies. Here is a list of materials I used Hook: TMC 101 in size 22 Thread: Veevus 14/0 in Black Dubbing: Superfine Dubbing Wing: CDC in Gray
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This fly keeps getting sold out at my work. We cannot keep them in stock. They are some of the best, and most productive annelid patterns we carry. The deep ribs, and contrast with the thread and D-Rib create a super bold fly that attracts fish like crazy! It took a few tries to figure out how to tie this fly, but after I figured it out, it really isn't all that difficult. I will say, the original that we have at our work doest have the black tag at the end, but seems to get the black ribs another way. While I can tie them that way as well, they take a bit longer, and I find this way is easier and quicker. Its also just as effective. Here is a list of materials I used on the fly Hook: Umpqua U203 in size 20 Red Thread: UTC Ultra Thread 70 Black Thread: Danville's fly master 6/0 Ribbing: Midge sized D-Rib in Red Finishing Resin - Solarez "Bone Dry" UV curing resin
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This fly uses a foam wing case to make a fly that is unmistakingly a midge emerging pattern. The foam is less subtle than the krystal flash emerger, and when you know the trout are feeding on emerging midges then this is the go to fly for me. The Daiichi 1140 has a turned up eye, so there is nothing getting in the way of a hook set. This is important when fishing these small flies. I have lost lots of fish due to the hook ripping out, and this hook will give you a bit more gripping power. Hook: Daiichi 1140 - Size 20 Thread: Veevus 16/0 - Black Wire: Ultra Wire - X-small, silver Wing Case: Ultra thin fly foam - white
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My latest tutorial. Enjoy and thanks for watching!
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Tying these midges is no easy matter. The material list is small, just two color threads and some flashabou, but they are so small, that I have trouble with my not so good eyes to tie them. Your experiences might vary. However they are great for fishing on the san juan river. I lost a few of them my last trip, so this time I need to tie some more up for fishing. Hook: Daiichi 1110 - size 28 Thread: Ultra Thread 70 - dark brown and white Hot Spot: Flashabou - hot pink
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The black zebra midge is probably one of the more common midge patterns used when nymphing in rivers for trout. They are very easy to tie, and super effective! I always have a few of them in my box, as there are always midges present. Since midges are always present in the water, they are one of the most important and readily eaten foods for trout. Hook: Umpqua U202 (any scud or curved hook will do) Thread: Ultra thread 70 denier - (black, red, brown, olive and white are common) Check ou the video here... Or below the video is a link to my site where you can watch the video and also find more videos that I made. http://www.mcflyangler.com/freshwater/nymphs/black-zebra-midge
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- zebra midge
- midge
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The Krystal Flash Midge Emerger is one of the more simple emerger patterns for trout. This midge emerger is really effective despite using only 3 materials. Krystal flash, thread and wire. Tied like a zebra midge, but with an emerging wing. These are one of my favorite midge flies for picky trout in rivers. Its so easy to tie, I can make up 20 of them, and don't mind too much if I loose some due to small tippet. Hook: Umpqua U202 (or any scud hook size 14-32) Thread: Ultra thread 70 denier (black, red, cream, olive, and brown are common) Ribbing: Ultra wire x-small (gold or silver are common) Watch the video below, or click over to my website to watch the video where there is more information. http://www.mcflyangler.com/freshwater/nymphs/krystal-flash-midge-emerger
- 22 replies
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- kf midge emerger
- midge emerger
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The CDC Dry Fly Midge is a perfect imitation for a midge hatch. These tiny flies are fairly easy to tie if you have good eyes, and do really well tandem behind a Griffith's gnat or larger dry fly. They are also really quick to tie, so you can make up dozens of them in an hour for your next trip. Don't be caught off guard by the next midge hatch! keep these in your box at all times! Hook: Daiichi 1110 size 26 (any 1x length dry fly hook will work) regularly tied from size 20-32. Thread: 8/0 thread in black, or any color you want to tie this in. Regularly tied in gray, brown, olive and cream. Hackle: The top feathers of a dry fly cape. These are very small hackle feathers, specifically for small midge flies. Wings: CDC Feathers. I used "natural dun" color, but common colors are white, brown, and gray. Music: Sunny, ukulele - Bensound.com
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Midge hatches can be some of the most productive dry fly fishing experiences. The midges sometimes will cluster together, and the trout will go for these clusters because its a larger meal. The Griffiths Gnat matches the midge cluster very well. Its an old pattern that has been around for a long time, but still produces very well. It floats high on the water, so its great for an indicator fly when fishing a double rig. Use it as an indicator for a smaller midge dry fly, or even a midge emerger. Hook: Size 14-22 dry fly good (in this case an Umpqua U002 size 18) Thread: Black 8/0 or 70 denier thread Body: 2 peacock hurl strands Hackle: Grizzly dry fly hackle Music: Sunny, funnysong, ukulele - Bensound.com
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Sometimes you want a very flashy and easy to see midge larvae. In that case, this is the pattern for you! I always keep a few of these in my box when going to the river. If its fairly cloudy outside, or even when the water is a little mucky, I will tie this fly on to help the fish see it better. Hook: Daiichi 1270 (or any other long shank curved hook like Umpqua U203 or Mustad C53SNP-BR) Thread: Red, pink or (in this case) orange 8/0 sized thread (or 70 denier) Flash: Pearl flashabou Dubbing: Super flash dubbing Music: Sunny, funnysong - Bensound.com
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- Fly Tying
- Princess Larvae
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Midge larve are probably the most important food source for trout. They are always in the water, and there are times of the year that the fish will feed exclusively on these. So you must make sure and always have a supply of midge larvae imitators on hand. I never fish a stream without flies like the san juan worm, zebra midge, and this little fly, the midge larvae. The simple midge larvae is a very easy fly to tie and takes just a minute or two. You can crank out a few dozen of these in an hour. They only use 2 types of materials, and are fairly inexpensive to tie up, depending on the quality of your hook. You can tie these in any size you want, but I find that 14-26 is best Hook: Umpqua U203 size 14-26 (the Daichi 1270, or mustad C53S also work well) Thread: Uni-thread 6/0 in red (Or you can go thicker or thinner for a different profile) Music: funnysong - Bensound.com
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Annelids and Midge larve are probably the most important food source for trout. They are always in the water, and there are times of the year that the fish will feed exclusively on these. So you must make sure and always have a supply of midge and annelid larvae imitators on hand. I never fish a stream without flies like the san juan worm, zebra midge, and this little fly, the midge ribbed annelid. The midge ribbed annelid is a very easy fly to tie and takes just a few minutes. You can crank out a dozen or more of these in an hour, and if you are really good, maybe even 20. They don't use a lot of materials, and are fairly inexpensive to tie up, depending on the quality of your hook. They are very effective as midge imitators when tied small like I am doing here on a size 20 hook. But the same concept can be applied with a nymph ribbing and a larger hook, say maybe 10-16 size. Hook: Umpqua U203 size 18-24 (the Daichi 1270, or mustad C53S also work well) Thread: Uni-thread 6/0 in red (any fine red thread will do, just make sure its strong enough to wrap tightly, and fine enough not to add bulk) Ribbing: Red vinyl ribbing - midge size Music: funnysong, ukulele - Bensound.com
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Checking out the photo post process, with a #14 Parachute BWO(ish) and a #20 Thread Midge Pupa... I can't seem to find 2XL #20 hooks anywhere, so the midge is a little short.
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- Parachute BWO
- Midge
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I find myself wanting to get a smaller thread for tying midges. What brand and size thread do yall use?
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This video teaches you the step by step process on tying Charlie Craven's Blue Poison Tung. This is a fantastic midge pattern that is nice and heavy and just flat out catches fish. Materials: Hook: Daiichi 1120 #16-20 Bead: Tungsten Silver Thread: UTC 70 Blue Dun Rib: Ultra Wire Gun Metal Blue Small Thorax: Ice Dub UV Grey
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- Charlie Craven
- Midge Pattern
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