Midges

[JeffK]

For starting out IMHO the best midge patterns are the Zebra midges and the thread midges from Midge Magic because they are simple, effective, and don't take any fancy materials.

A Zebra midge is just a bead head (glass or metal) and a thread body with a fine wire rib. The original is black thread with a silver rib. However, all sorts of colors work like gray, brown, red, and green. The Zebra Miidge is my go to midge. Can add a little wing like an RS2 to make it an emerger.

The book Midge Magic was written about PA streams and its patterns bascially use either cotton embroidery floss (very cheap) or Coats&Clark sewing thread (fairly cheap). I use plenty of these.

The Little Lehigh classic courtesy of the Late Al Miller is the Als Rat; Just a brown thread body with a sparce muskrat head. Nothing simpler and it works wonders. Add a little synthetic dubbing with the muskrat for a little more sparkle.

There are thousands of great midge patterns out there. One I have grown fond of the last year is Charlie Craven's JuJube Midge. Simple pattern, but it takes saltwater streamer synthetic hair - which may be a little pricy for just a few midges starting out. But if you have buddies who tie saltwater flies you can bum a few hairs - doesn't take much for a midge. Just like the Zebra Midge mix up the colors. I like blue and chartreuse. Western tailwater fishermen have developed hundred's of great midge patterns (Zebra Midge came from Lee's Ferry on the Colorado), but the PA ones have the simple, well-made, useful characteristics of stuff made by Pennsylvania Germans - an attribute I appreciate.

 

[tracker12]

What's your favorite hook for midges

 

[jdaddy]

tracker12 wrote:
What's your favorite hook for midges

Small ones. LOL.

I like a light wire, though not crazy light, wide gap scud hook.

 

[gfen]

Mustad R50 (dry/wet), from 20 to 28. I've got some C49S (curved scud) in 22 I'm gonna probably use, too.

The bulk of the tiny ones came from the Little Lehigh Fly Shop, and Rod was big on midges, so I presume these are considerably good choicees.

 

[sholgate]

My new favorite midge pattern is a black brassie with red thread and a white antron wing. Size 18 or 20.

 

[Fredrick]

I'm tying a black brassie for the midge swap great minds do think a like int:

 

[jrcll]

bought a book last summer called...Modern Midges.. countless patterns from the pupa stage , emerger stage and adult

 

[dryflyguy]

The latest issue of american angler has a very simple midge pattern by Ted Fauceglia (sp).

Just tie a body of fine dubbing, and a V-shaped wing of antron - in various colors to suit your needs. I tied some with black and gray bodies on #26 hooks. Can't wait to try them out in a few months

 

[gfen]

Fredrick wrote:
great minds do think a like int:

Doesn't explain how you two thought of the same thing, though...

I never really thought about it as a midge, but a fly I've always made that I use as a dropper might actually be a midge pattern.

I take a small curved hook, usually #18, and wrap a body of pearl mylar (ie, flashabou). At the top, I'll leave a little loop of material to act as a "wing," and a tiny bit of dubbing (something shiney, ice dub usually). Add a clear glass bead if desired.

Its sort of just a shimmery, shiny emerging thing. Fish like it, especially at the end of a drift as it'll start to rise from current.

 

[TUNA]

sholgate, that is probably my number one pattern, year round. I use it in sizes 14-22. I use black, tan, olive, orange, and a few other colors. They work as midges and as caddis larva, too. The only difference between the midge and caddis versions is, the caddis have a small copper rib on them. Awesome fly.

 

[franklin]

Here is a midge emerger tyed with a biot and CDC that has worked for me. I tie this in both natural and olive body with natural CDC.

 

[TUNA]

Nice fly franklin, is there any coating over the biot body?

 

[sholgate]

TUNA wrote:
sholgate, that is probably my number one pattern, year round. I use it in sizes 14-22. I use black, tan, olive, orange, and a few other colors. They work as midges and as caddis larva, too. The only difference between the midge and caddis versions is, the caddis have a small copper rib on them. Awesome fly.

I am not a very advanced tyer. I tie flies that fool'em, are cheap, and they last. Small brassies fit that to a "t." Because no matter how quick they are, they always take your time.

This week I made a modification, tung bead. Not sure how much of a difference that will make at that size, but I thought I would try it.

 

[franklin]

TUNA wrote:
Nice fly franklin, is there any coating over the biot body?

I put a coat of nail polish on to improve durability. Without that they only last one or two fish. Even with the polish they don't last too long but are easy to tie. I think sometimes when they get ragged they are more attractive until they come apart.

 

[TUNA]

I only tie a few patterns myself. Brassies are number 1 for me. The tung bead works well on them, too. I think Charlie Craven has a version called "Poison Tung," that is just a variation of a brassie, only blue. I tie most of mine now with the tung beads, they seem to work even better. Right now, I probably have them tied in at least 10 different colors. If you get a chance try tying some with CDC instead of Antron, they come alive under water. Tying them with Vinyl rib, embroidery floss, or anything you can wrap on a hook seems to work pretty well, as long as the slim profile is maintained.

The last trip I made to Erie had me using blue Brassies with a black or silver tung bead, and dyed blue Peacock Herl for the thorax. That's the only thing I could get them to take. They would only take size 18 or smaller.

Good luck with tying, you seem to be doing very well so far, and you're probably a lot better than myself too.