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Joshpilon08

looking to start a midge box??

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I'm looking at starting a midge box with anywhre from size 12 to size 20 flies. Any suggestions on what I should have in it??

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A midge box to me would have sizes 22 - 26 included in it.

 

If you consider that "midge" is a commonly used term for chironomids, no reason why a "midge box" wouldn't have files as large as size 8.

 

Joshpilon08: Lot's of patterns out there, and mostly just thread and wire on a hook. Would probably be helpful if you specified the waters you targeting, but you might want to take a look at Rowley's Fly Patterns for Stillwaters, or Takahashi's Modern Midges depending on the type of fishing you are planning on doing.

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If you consider that "midge" is a commonly used term for chironomids, no reason why a "midge box" wouldn't have files as large as size 8

That's great but I also think they'll be missing out if they don't go smaller than 20.

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Do not forget the book written by Don Holbrook and Ed Koch titled Midge Magic. It is awsome, most of patterns are tied with embroidery floss.

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I may have some size 18's in my midge box but mostly size 20 to 24 these days. I carry two patterns that serve as emerger/dry patterns both local but they'e caught me trout throughout the Northeast and Southern Ontario. One's called the Wissahickon Midge and the other is the Ridley Creek Fuzz Ball. If you google them you can find the materials and tying instructions. A few Griffith's Gnats and Usuals, one a Canadian friend came up with called the "Mess" which is basically Snowshoe hare twisted on the thread and wrapped on the shank. Also, size 18 to size 22 BH PT Nymphs, Hare's Ear Nymphs,and Green Weenies. A couple of size 20 Copper Johns and in case of an emergency, a size 20 Crazy Charlie.

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Ill give some of them a try. Im fairly new to tying and havent found my patience yet with flies smaller than an 18. Im work towards them though. Thank for the advise everyone

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If you take a look at some UK sites for buzzer fishing. This is typically how we fish Chironomids imitations and you can happily fish size 10-14. Also when you want a fly in the surface layers the cruncher makes a good hatching imitation

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ive caught a lot of fish in the rivers out west (south platte, san juan, big horn, green river etc) and never needed midges smaller than size 20

 

tie the sizes that YOU prefer to fish but also tie a few in the 22-24-26 range just in case

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My smallest midge is 24, in fact I drop right from 20 to 24. Our Chironamid hatches here would include size 14 or even size 12 Griffiths Gnats. When midges mate they do it in a ball or cluster that rolls over the waters surface, so while each midge is somewhere from a 24 to 18, the cluster is easily represented by size 14 Griffiths Gnats. Anyone in the know about midge fishing locally doesn't think of a Griffiths Gnat as a single adult midge here. We have ponds here with the most common size single adults being 20 and size 18, adults emerging with trailing shuck and others where size 24 or even smaller but clean of a shuck are prevalent . by far you catch more on emerging midges or pupa than on dry flies. But the rivers in Maine might have midges no bigger than specs on the water, I won't bother, too much eye strain for me ! One pond down here in the spring too is like that, I wait for the size 40 and 32's to go away and the 20's to start up because they surely will. You can do that with local water but when traveling it's another matter again..

 

But yeah, size 24 is my smallest midge period, it's the smallest hook I stock and as I age I use them less and less ! I keep about 1/2 dozen each of Griffiths Gnats from size 16-12 but mostly use 14s. They are part of my midge roster. In pill bottles are my emergering pupa patterns, I tie three iterations from 24-18in size. One thing about now being 66 years old there is a good supply of pill bottles on hand, why buy more fly boxes for tiny flies ? Save them for the streamers and caddis and mayflies that have some bulk to them.

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My experience is that Chironomids in lakes tend to be larger than in rivers. My stream box has mostly 18 - 22 zebra midges and Griffith's Gnats and Sprout Midge dries. My lake box has Chromies, Ice Cream Cones and TDCs (Thompson's Delectable Chironomid), some as big as size 10.

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