Zebra Midge

[Dave G. 0]

I was going to mention that too about the fly rod. If there is fishing around it can probably be done on a fly rod. I will say that for bass I use a 7/8 wt or an 8 wt. Small mouth are nice on a 6 wt.but what ever you got will work one way or another. If you have some smallie fishing around those parts they will take a lot of what trout will take fwiw. A favorite that I tie that both smallies and trout like , in still and moving water is a size 6-8 Black Nosed dace streamer fly. i tie mine with a gold oval rib over silver tinsel though and feel that triggers a few more strikes from multi species.

 

Some of my midges are coated in Sally Hansen some are not coated at all. The ones I tie up with a goose or turkey biot body I tend to coat more so than the thread ones. And I agree that Sally's tends to give the rib a little definition.

[Dave G. 0]

Cold it's on a 14

A pretty standard size midge around here is size 20. One pond if you don't drop to 24 you probably won't catch anything in a midge hatch. But I've used size 16 and maybe even 14 in the fall in one other particular water, that's when our biggest chironamids are out and cluster up. Thing is it's also when the baby herring cluster up in another pond/lake and I can't be in two places at once . But fish really key to both situations, fall is awesome here for fishing, so it's a win win anyway.

[CGull 0]

Dave, don't think my clumsy fingers and crappy eye sight could go that small. Lol

But I should use 16 and smaller?

[Cold 0]

#16 is typically the *biggest* I tie them unless I'm doing a test run for a new (to me) pattern.

 

Most of my midges are 20s and 22s.

 

There are certainly larger chironomids in the water, but generally if that's what they're on, I can use a caddis larva as a 'near enough'.

[CGull 0]

K thanks

[rstaight 0]

I have tied midges down to 32. I used every bit of magnification I had. The magnifier in my desk lamp, wore my hat with the flip focals, and reading glasses all at the same time to get them tied. They were nothing more a single strand of embrodery floss wrapped around the hook. Only problem, to damn small for me to see to tie them on to use.

 

But I do use Zerbra midges down to size 20 under an indicator.

[Dave G. 0]

CG, I don't know your waters and hatches. Here is the deal though, if you can tie 16's and get used to what that takes, then I bet you can tie an 18. Tie an 18 sparse and I bet you could make it pass in a size 20 hatch.

[utyer 0]

Many of the midge larvae found in cold water streams, and be size 20 to size 32. Most of these larvae show very little build up in the thorax area at all. I have never seen any with huge bulbous heads. For my tying two layers of thread (one back and one forward,) is enough for the abdomen, and just 2 or 4 more layers in the thorax. I keep the thread untwisted and flat, to keep the body much thinner than most people will. If I use a rib, its 38 gauge wire of smaller.

 

Use white thread, and you can make other colors simply with a marker.

 

The Chironomids (non biting midges,) which are usually found in ponds, lakes and very slow water are larger. These can be tied on size 10 to 14, and will have abdomens that are quite a bit thicker. Usually 4 to 6 flat layers of thread will do. The Chironomids are best fished in the pupal stage, and just below the surface. The pupae will show a much thicker thorax area, and some wing pads. Since they are supposed to be fished near the surface, I rarely use brass beads, if I use a bead at all, its usually glass.

 

 

 

 

[Dave G. 0]

Chironamid pupa as they stack up to break the surface in our pond waters here look like little broken sticks suspended vertically. They are black with a white or ivory candy cane striping or so called rib. White thread works great for the rib and a tiny amount of black rabbit dubbing on black thread for the body. A little white antron under that sticking out simulates sprouting wings in the front and trailing shuck or bubbles in the rear. Tied size 16 works very well here, actually size 20-14 depending on the season.

[CGull 0]

Hey guys I haven't responded to every one, but I've read each post and learn from each.

Can't thank you enough for taking time to respond.

I bought some size 16 today and will start working towards tying on 18 to 20

[mikechell 0]

I bought some size 16 today and will start working towards tying on 18 to 20

Try fishing the 16s before you buy and tie smaller.

If you catch fish on the 16s, no reason to tie smaller.

If I fish 16s ... I catch 1 1/2 inch bluegill. So, I don't tie anything smaller than a size 12 ... and even that small is rare.

Size 12 and 10 zebra midges seem to attract their fair share of attention.

[Dave G. 0]

[CGull 0]

Ya, Truckee River, first Mountain I ever climbed and descended when i got my CDL. God i was petrified. I stopped at Donners summit, temp were nice low 70s. Went in to take a leak, came out and it was snow blowing everywhere.

 

Truckee River is top of my go to list. 2 years 5 months til 62.....woot woot

[Dave G. 0]

We were out west a few years ago to fly my wife's father's ashes over Mount Rose and scatter them out a chute over the ski slopes. But a friend of their family out there took us on a scenic tour along the Truckee, headed out of Reno up over Donner Pass and into some California town for lunch. No flyrod ! So I got to looking up fishing in the Truckee when I got home and found out they have 8lb trout out that way, in the river and in lakes. Big Cut throats in Pyramid lake etc etc... So, well, I have no real reason to get back out there now except the fishing. I hope you're well set in retirement to make trips like that. I'm set up about good enough to live and not worry a whole lot if I keep it really simple and that is a good thing in itself, but big trips will be far and few between if ever. So may or may not make it back out there before my ashes get scattered somewhere. It was nice to see though. No complaints either way, I had my hay days fishing with my sons and my wife too.

[epzamora 0]

The Truckee has a great reputation for quality fish AND being very difficult to figure out. A buddy of mine guides there. Consider a guide for at least a half day. And pyramid cutthroat are legendary.

 

In my area midges bigger than an 18 are too big. but right, start tying 16s. then to 18s, then 20s down once you get 16s down. i also found using a flat thread (like UTC 70) helps a lot, especially once you learn to spin the bobbin to release the twist. UNI 6/0 just doesn't work very well. not sure what thread you're using.

 

you're wire wraps look great!

 

eric

fresno, ca.