Tying a better Midge (Zebra Midge Example)

[Troutbum11 0]

Those do look pretty awesome. Thanks,flytire

[planettrout 0]

Here:

 

 

PAL (Midge) – Keeler/Variant…

HOOK: TMC 2488, #18-#20

THREAD: Tiemco 16/0, Olive

RIB: UTC wire, x-sm, Black

THORAX: Ice Dub, UV Tan

BEAD: Hi-Lite Glass Bead, Blue Peacock, x-sm

...don't ever use sz. brassie wire on midge patterns unless you are tying buzzers for lakes in size #10 & #12...

PT/TB

[Chris_NH 0]

...don't ever use sz. brassie wire on midge patterns unless you are tying buzzers for lakes in size #10 & #12...

 

Whenever I see "don't ever" I wanna say don't ever say don't ever... The bigger wire accentuates the segmentation and is perfectly fine to use. My poison is generally brassie down to 16's, small on 18's and 20's and x-small on everything smaller. On the bigger stillwater midges I often use medium then coat it with UV resin. Makes for some fine looking chironomids.

[mikechell 0]

Or ... "Don't ever" means

 

Just kidding PT.

[planettrout 0]

I think Charlie nails it here:

 

http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/print.cfm?parentID=39

 

 

...and FYI:

 

" The Zebra Midge pattern is acclaimed to have orginated around the Lees Ferry area of Northern Arizona, along the Colorado River, by Ted Welling, a guide with Lees Ferry Anglers. It is very common throughout the Eastern Sierras and up into British Columbia as a Chironomid pupa pattern for Stillwater Lakes. Larvae patterns can be created by omitting the beadhead or by using a black microbead. The Olive Zebra Larvae is often used on the Lower Owens for a caddis larvae pattern.The emerger patterns will have a small tuft of Antron protruding from the bead and a herl or dubbed collar. The Zebra Midge is usually a thread body of Black, Red, Olive, Brown, and Gray color with a fine silver wire ribbing. It can have a beadhead of Nickel, Copper, Gold, Black, or a Glass Bead. Sometimes, there is no beadhead and a head of rabbit or beaver dubbing is created instead.

 

http://stevenojai.tripod.com/zebra_midge.htm

 

 

PT/TB

[mikechell 0]

deleted ... wrong thread

[Troutbum11 0]

Good info here planettrout. Thanks!

[mbourdon 0]

Sad to say but in my ignorance I was annoyed at the poor quality of some of the "old" fly tying hooks in my collection. "who ever made these did a terrible job!" Only now am I realizing that they were offset hook points intended for just this purpose. I bent them straight and went on tying. Should have left them alone I guess. Still so much to learn.

[wthorpe 0]

i have some of those Dai Riki 135's and i like the offset hook. i also see that Dai Riki has a somewhat similar product, #125. I wonder if someone more knowledgeable about nuances in hooks could explain how they are different? Looks to me like 125 has a straight eye which should improve hooking ability, but i think it is 2X short, and i am guessing that might eliminate some of the hooking advanatage? The 125 also apparently is not offset. So in the end is the 135 teh better approach for zebra midges and similar flies?

[nick2011 0]

i thought it was a good video. 1 tip i personally do is slide the tip of the rib wire under the bead keeping a uniform body and no need to cut off.