Any advice for fishing size 30's?

[Foxgap239]

I was fishing one of my favorite creeks on Monday and catching some fish on a size 20 BWO during the afternoon hours. About 4PM the BWO's seemed to disappear but I still came upon a pod of rising fish. I fished over them with BWO, then GN and finally a size 24 midge a guy taught me to tie all to no avail. When I finally decided the fish had beat me, I seined the water and found a ton of black midges in the film. I took some home in my seine and when I got them home I put hooks beside them until I found the right size which was a 30. They may be 28's because they were dried up by the time I got them home, so I tied up both 28's and 30's and hope to try them tomorrow during the springlike 60's we are supposed to have around here. I know I won't be able to see these darn things so I planned to fish it like a dry dropper only in the film. Good approach? Any offered suggestions for tips on fishing these small babies?

 

[pcray1231]

Make sure you can get the tippet through the eye, lol.

I recognize that midges are often 28-32's, but I fish 24's and do alright. I think the key you saw is that it needed to be in the film rather than floating for that particular day. I often tie my midges with a simple thread body and spinner wings, lightly dressed, and then let em waterlog!

It's still frustrating. The fish take em just fine, but they don't move to them. You gotta time the rises and essentially drift it in their mouths. I don't think you can escape that.

 

[Foxgap239]

Thanks Pat. I'll let you know how I make out. I'm expecting to get frustrated and will hopefully be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Dale49]

Fox,

I fish with the the small stuff this time of year - sizes 28 to 32, pupas, emergers and sometimes adults and tiny BWO nymph patterns. Since I've not seen fish rising to the midges this season on the local streams I fish, I've been fishing below surface with midge pupa/emerger patterns and BWO nymphs with a good deal of success. I use the smallest shots available and either high stick with sighters or use a small indicator. I've been using 8, 9 and 10x Varivas tippet material. I've had minimal break-offs as I re-tie after hooking so many fish. My largest so far this year - 17" wild brown. I also use an Orvis Superfine Touch rod that is full-flex and I strongly believe that this rod protects the light tippet.

Dale

 

[MKern]

Use a size 18 BWO as an indicator and put the midge dry/emerger like 18" away.

 

[Foxgap239]

All of your ideas will be put to the test tomorrow assuming nothing blows up at work! I'll provide feedback. I do have 9X tippet on order but tomorrow the best I can do is 8X super strong.

 

[dryflyguy]

I fish #32's on 7x with no problems.

Watch where the fly lands, and follow that patch of water as it moves over the fish. And even if you can't see the fly, just pull when you see any rise in the area. It's surprising though, how often I can see a small fly like that - depending on how the glare is.

It also helps to position yourself below the fish, so that the fly is pulled back into it's mouth when setting the hook

 

[Foxgap239]

I tied mine with 14/0 black thread, three strands of antron off the back for a trailing shuck and like 4 or 5 CDC barbs for the wing. I'll Fanny them up and see if I can see them. if not, I'll try a size 24 para midge (which I can see) or the 20 BWO with 12 to 18" off the back for the midge. I may not catch anything but I'm sure as heck gonna have a bunch of things to try!

Thanks guys.

 

[dryflyguy]

A have success with a very simple black midge pattern called a sewer fly. Just a tiny post wing of poly or antron, and a body of black thread. I tie these in size #24 on down to #32.

 

[Foxgap239]

Sounds good. I may have to try those. There is a little white midge that hatches on Penn's in June that I think is a 30 or 32. Have to tie something up for that this year.

I didn't go by a pattern for mine. I looked at the natural (dried up as he may have been) and said okay, what can I make look like him. I tied some with and some without the shuck. I have to tell you. I only once designed my own fly and that was a streamer but it is ultra cool to catch something on your own design. Hopefully I'll get that feeling again tomrrow.

 

[pcray1231]

dryfly's sewer fly sounds a lot like my midge, just a post instead of spent wings. I mostly use the spent wing style because I make trico's like that, so I just make a bunch of tricos in 24-26, then cut the tail off when I need a midge!

But the point is the same. Hackle makes it float high. You want it NOT to float high.

When I fish my 24-26's, I typically use 6x tippet. I do own and have gone to 7x on occasion, and would if I was going smaller than 26. But I don't think I'd ever go to 8x.

One thing that gains importance when using tiny flies is the brand of tippet. You want it as supple as you can get it. Fluoro is not good for this application. I generally recommend Rio, Powerflex is very good, Suppleflex a touch better if you can find it. But whatever brand you use, copolymers are generally more supple than fluoro or straight mono.

In those fluoro vs. mono and brand vs. brand arguments, everything has it's place. What's important is to understand your situation and what you're looking for.

 

[whheff]

I tie my small flies on a piece of 8 or 9x tippet about 8 to 10 inches long. Then I only have to tie the 2 pieces of tippet together instead of trying to put the tippet through the fly.
It is a lot easier at home with the big magnifier than on the stream.
Give it a try.

 

[Foxgap239]

Pat, we have had this discussion about tippet before and I know you are not a fan of super strong for tippet material. I know you like it for the leader but just not the tippet. I used 8X SS for the first time the other day and I was amazed at how well it fished. I had 7 fish on dries on a creek where I most days have to work hard for 3 fish on 7X. A guy that fishes said creek often from my TU told me he uses nothing but 9X. Fun days ahead!

 

[Foxgap239]

whheff wrote:
I tie my small flies on a piece of 8 or 9x tippet about 8 to 10 inches long. Then I only have to tie the 2 pieces of tippet together instead of trying to put the tippet through the fly.
It is a lot easier at home with the big magnifier than on the stream.
Give it a try.

The older I get the more that suggestion is having great merit!

 

[Dale49]

Fox,

You can see there are many ways to tie and fish midges. My patterns are just thread and CDC for the emergers and floaters and various colors of Coats and Clark thread for the pupas (as in Midge Magic). In many of my experiments at various streams in MD, PA and WV, I found the 8, 9 and 10x tippet out produced heavier types except for stained water. That's just my experience.

Lastly, when fishing adults or pupas on top, I use Tiemco's Dry Magic on the CDC wings.

Dale

 

[jayL]

Fox,

I never had to go smaller than 26 on that stream for single midges. Size 26 Adams, black, and cream seemed to cover it. I'm surprised that the 24 gn didn't seal the deal, since that worked 90 percent of the time for me in that situation.

The only practical advice I can give is that regardless of what they are eating, they will take an ant as well in a few months. Hell, they may now.

If I'm wrong about this being the stream I think it is, my apologies.

Edit: another point I should make is that the bulk of my fishing there was before it became a zoo, so maybe they are tougher now.

 

[Foxgap239]

Jayl, you are correct on the stream and I'll PM you.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Fox - try a size 26 Al's Rat. Tie 2' of 7X fluorocarbon tippet to your 5X dry fly leader with a triple surgeons knot, and grease the whole leader down to the 7X knot.

Watch the curves in the leader that is floating, and when they straighten, game on.

 

[jayL]

Via pm with fox, I found that I know this particular pod of fish quite well. I told him the same thing... Well, I fished them in 24, but yeah. Those fish will eat the rat for sure.

 

[Foxgap239]

Just tied up a couple. I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks everyone. I am just excited to try all these ideas. If I fail it won't be from lack of effort.