midge nymphs

[fishaholic69 0]

made a few midge nymphs today in size 16. I used this green midge tubing I had. it didn't fit over the hook so I tied it in and wrapped it. also had a strand of chartruese crystal flash tied in on the back which I used to wrap over the tubing for sparkle. topped it off with the peacock herl. what ya think? 1st one I ever tried to make. I made a couple to try out as a dropper pattern off a foam bug this summer.

 

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

looks good to me :headbang:

[fishaholic69 0]

awesome. will have to get more colors of this tubing. what colors are good midge colors? red? will prolly use a lil less peacock also. smallest hooks I had was 16. maybe I will get some 18's

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

black, olive, brown, grey, red, rusty orange might try #20 also :headbang:

[flygirl 0]

Rather than spend xtra $$ on collecting different color tubing why not use a clear tubing over a colored thread. I usually thread the hook shank , tie in a clear tubing & wrap it up to the hook eye. The clear tubing seems to add a bit of sparkle.

[fishaholic69 0]

fly girl will the thread color show through even if I wrap it up the shank instead of slide it over? if so thats a great idea.

[utyer 0]

One of my favoite midge patters is the brassy. Just wrap fine copper wire around the hook, and add a little peacock herl at the head. Or simply use heavy thread (like 3/0.) You can tie with a contrasting color, leave a long tag hanging off the back to make a rib. coat the whole thread body with head cement. For a real challange, try some dubbed bodies. These should end up no thicker than that tubing. As for colors, copper wire, red wire, orange, black and green. There are some that are a blueish green.

[fishaholic69 0]

ok cool. I got lots of copper wire. do I just wrap it up the hook shank or do a make a tapered body of thread under the wire befoe I wrap it?? I will make some and post um once I kno for sure.

[flygirl 0]

fishaholic....check the caddis nymph I have in the Fly Pattern database.....I wrap micro tubing over thread & it shows thru just fine.

[fishaholic69 0]

I see it now. looks great! will get some clear next time I order.

[utyer 0]

As for wrapping wire for brassy nymphs, just wrap the wire on the hook, no need to taper a body. Midges are pretty tiny, and the hooks are thicker that most of the real bodies. I use a 38 gauge wire for 18 and smaller, and a double or tripple strand of the same wire for larger copper body nymphs. I twist the strands together like a dubbing brush with no fur. Makes a slightly thicker body. By the time I am up to size 12, I switch to other gauges. I get most of my copper from old wiring so I don't really know the gauges. I only work on a taper on size 14 and larger.

[fishaholic69 0]

thanks utyer. I will give one a try. also have very small beads coming maybe I could make some beadheads too.

[mwtroubum 0]

Really into midge nymphs right now, am tying mine with Quill bodies.....try it once, looks pretty cool, or check out the book A.K.'s Flybox by AK Best....it's opened up a whole new world for me in the sense of tying with different materials.....now if I could just work less and tie more :wallbash:

[fishaholic69 0]

never tried a qilll body yet on any pattern . maybe I will give it a try.

[Sal Velinus 0]

Nice ties!

 

Biot bodies are what i use on small midge patterns and I use turkey, PT, or other bird wing/tail barbs for

larger flies (just like a PT body).

 

By the way, technically speaking midges and caddis don't have "nymphal" stages. They have larval and pupal stages. Not that it matters or that you should care, but some people will call you out on it.