Tying a better Midge (Zebra Midge Example)

[Troutbum11 0]

A few tips I think are key to tying an effective midge. Criticism is always welcome. Hope you enjoy!

 

[FIN-ITE 34 0]

I would give you one tip when using wire. Instead of cutting with a scissors, helicopter it off. That will save your scissor points and it will break clean and not leave that sharp, protruding point.

[swampsinger 0]

I like the look of these flies. I also like the idea of preserving the hook gape. I have seen on other videos where the tyer spins the bobbin to make the thread lay flat when making thread bodies.

[flytire 0]

lots of ways to tie a zebra midge

 

better....????

[Troutbum11 0]

Just wanted to explain the importance of proportions and and hook gaps when tying midges to make them more effective (better) when on the water. As I explained in the video, I have just seen a lot of midges with little to no hook gap. This goes for any midge, just used the zebra as an example to try to explain my thoughts. Thanks for the input guys!

[retrocarp 0]

This is how i do mine....... ???

[flytire 0]

looks good retro

 

[retrocarp 0]

Why Thank You.... Flytire

[Dave G. 0]

Just wanted to explain the importance of proportions and and hook gaps when tying midges to make them more effective (better) when on the water. As I explained in the video, I have just seen a lot of midges with little to no hook gap. This goes for any midge, just used the zebra as an example to try to explain my thoughts. Thanks for the input guys!

I get it Ryan, hook style and also sharpness matters.. When I first started tying midges I picked up a few hooks at a local shop that had exceptionally long point sections and it was difficult to hook a fish on those. Later I picked up a box of #20 suited to midge tying it was an entirely different thing, they about hooked themselves. Then I got Tiemco #24 for the smaller hooks and they worked fine. Course these days I can barely see a size 24 but that's another matter lol.

[mikechell 0]

I wanted to ask, flytire ... all those memes of you, like the "thumbs up" above (post #7) ... did you go to "Hair Club for Men" or did you use some "off the shelf" hair restorer?

 

All that hair growth, and it STILL didn't quite cure that receding hairline ... humph!

[rstaight 0]

I increased hook ups with small wet flies and midges by offsetting the point of the hook by about 10 degrees. Just put the hook point in a pair of pliers or barb crushers before you start tying and push the shank to the side. This drastically increased hook ups.

[Troutbum11 0]

rstaight, that's a good thought as well. As long as you don't weaken the bend too much. but just a slight bend shouldn't do too much damage.

[Dave G. 0]

It just depends on the material and temper of the hooks. Around 1995ish Mustad's 94840 hooks you couldn't do that with, they were still grinding for sharpness, the metal kind of brittle. In some sizes the sides were ground flat even. If bent, one of those it would snap. They since have changed the process, I think today's iteration would bend fine. But they also changed the curve of the hook so it probably wouldn't need bending anyway. Just sayin. Most of today's hooks are pretty good.

[flytire 0]

just buy the dai-riki 135 with the offset bend and no more worries about bending the damn the hook

 

other manufacturers offer the offset bend hooks

 

 

[Dave G. 0]

You get a LIKE for that one flytire ! I didn't even think of those, I just saw them over the winter in some catalog or online somewhere.