Heres my zebra variations. I think they would be 10/10 if i had been using black 8/0 instead of grey 4/0, makes the head look like a mess but all well.

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I think the bodies are way too thick. I like em to have a body with virtually no thread build up at all. Midges are tiny creatures.

Your technique, overall, looks good.

I tie in the wire at the rear of the hook, wind maybe 2 passes at most up behind the bead. Then I rib the fly, and tie down behind the bead. At that point, I build thread up to match the size of the bead and finish. That keeps the bodies nice and thin.

Righto

Pratice makes perfect.

Not bad at all, they will catch fish or a rock,log or tree!

JH

I think you nailed it with the size of the thread thing.

Mute- The advice you have been given is excellent. I will try and upload a photo of some size 18's and 20's (i think). The beauty of small flies is very light dressing. Even though I need a magnifier to do it, they are very simple to tie. These were tied with 8/0 uni.

How about colors everyone? I use mostly black with gold head and gold or silver rib. The black/gold/gold is my best.

Ahhh. The pain of posting photos.


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Nice, are yours just black thread? cause my body was stretch floss too.

Less is more!

They look just like mine, and I do them with nothing but thread, a bead, and wire.

Yep, bead, wire, thread here too most of the time. Every now and then I use a single strand of floss. I make mine most of the time in black thread, gold wire, gold bead, red thread gold wire gold bead, or black, silver, silver. I use x-small wire and tie on 16,18,20. I've had the best luck lately with the red ones. I use tungsten beads to get em down faster too. When I tie white, I use the single floss and silver bead and wire. The white ones are a little thicker, kinda like a little grub. Once in a while I'll use a pearlescent tinsel for the body and a black bead head.

There is a link below. Try as hard as I could to make it more elegant that is the best I can do. It is just google images with a search on zebra midges.

Here are some more photos that should give you guidance. And yes, just thread. I use the Uni thread 8/0. Sometimes I put a small collar, just a whisp of dubbing just next to the bead.

Keep this fly simple. Thread, rib, bead head. Also, I have come up with a really simple way to put the bead on the hook, I am going to have to take a few pics of that process when I get home!

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en ... &btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

That a zebra midge can catch trout is all the evidence I need of their stupidity. Do they work even better on wild one's?

jack,

It is actually a better imitation of the natural than most mayfly dries.

Once you get past the hook point and all....

Not sayin they aren't dumb as a doornail or anything, but just being fair.

Have you ever tried just tying a bare hook on when they are taking these? I would have to think it would be just as effective at half the cost and less time expended at the bench.

They weren't taking midges when I caught them on a bare hook.

Doornail.