How do you fish midges?

[Maurice]

I broke the poll down into categories and you can vote for more than one but try to keep your choices to one in each of the categories for now. If you cant, pick the one you use most like Beads and maybe discuss how you also fish with shot in a post reply.

I find the post in the fly tying forum on Zebra midges very interesting. Which brings me to wonder why I don't fish midges. Frankly, I don't fish many flies smaller than a #18 and then it is usually an ant in the summer.

Bigger is better, Trout like meat and potatos, blah, blah, blah...just excuses on why I never had the confidence to learn how to fish midges.

So here is my question(s)

When you fish a midge are you fishing to fish you can see? Or to lies you believe there to be fish? I find it hard to accept that using a midge pupae for searching is productive.

Is it better to have weight on the line (shot) or just the fly (bead)?

How do you detect strikes? under an indicator? watch for the flash?

Freestone, Limestone slow or fast water?

I really would like to build my confidence with these flies.

Thanks

Maurice

 

[jayL]

I didn't read your post first, mo. Sorry. I picked multiples from each category.

For the stream type, I fish them in both. I sight fish them in small streams, and under an indicator in larger water.

I fish them mainly in slow tail out pools, but have used tungsten beads and fished pocket water with a little less success, but enough to merit giving it a shot.

I usually use an indicator, but when sight fishing, I watch for the tell tale "chomp" by the fish.

Almost all of my patterns are bead head, but I fish flies like the al's rat with shot occasionally.

Add al's rat, and various colors of zebra midges to your arsenal, and you'll find some new go to patterns, especially for the cold months. You will be amazed at how many trout you can catch on them. My only 20-25+ fish day on the tully came with nothing but zebra midges on a sun-warmed feb. day.

 

[jayL]

Also, I recommend Ed Engle's "Tying Small Flies"

 

[shipnfish2006]

For me personally I normally only fish the midge pupa on small streams, but I'll fish midge dry flies pretty much anywhere I feel they'll work.

I've only fished the pupa on falling springs, big springs, and the "run". For me I will use the pupa when sight fishing these streams. Every now and then I'll use it in an area I feel there are fish and just try to feel it out, but I tend to miss a lot of fish using this method.

When I fish it I'll typically make a relatively short cast of maybe 10' and then just try to follow the fly by using the flow of the water as my guide as to where the fly might be, which doesn't always work as I'd like it to. Even when I'm sight fishing I'm still using feel as my ultimate guide to the strike. I never use sinkers when fishing it because I like for it to flow naturally through the water.

I don't see any reason why using some type of strike indicator wouldn't hurt if you were attempting to prospect with them. Personally I've never tried this method and really the only water I use them on is relatively flat/slow moving without a whole lot of current.

 

[MKern]

I fish midge larva/pupa on limestone streams in the heat of summer. Normally size 18 and smaller and under a heavy weighted nymph. Although I have found success letting them go unweighted and ride where ever in the current (remember, a lot of midges have to come to the surface for air). I usually detect the strike with my indicator, even though I'm normally only a few feet away. (this pattern I'm only willing to share in person)
On freestone streams, I normally fish midges as dries, but not too often, unless a place with a lot of wild fish and food abundance i.e. Slate Run.

 

[afishinado]

Mo asked:

“When you fish a midge are you fishing to fish you can see? Or to lies you believe there to be fish?”

I resort to midges when I see the small rings caused by rising fish sipping midges, usually happening in the backwater eddies or slower pools. I have a small insect net and try to capture a midge to imitate. If I can’t, I will usually try a Griffith’s Gnat first, or take my best guess as to the color – I seem to try black first on most streams. The “secret” to fishing midges is to get a perfect drift – easier said than done because for one, the fish have an annoying habit of rising in eddies with conflicting currents. Also it doesn’t take much to drag a tiny #28 fly on the water. I often fish a tandem dry midge on top and a pupa just under the surface. BTW, 6x usually does the job.


“I find it hard to accept that using a midge pupae for searching is productive.”

I would not prospect for trout with a midge pattern, but I often use a midge pupa as the point fly tied to a larger nymph when searching for fish. In the San Juan River out in New Mexico, a river notorious for midge hatches, guys use a bugger with a midge nymph point fly tandem to get the fishes attention. For around here I tie mini buggers to use as a search fly and use a midge pupa on the point.


”Is it better to have weight on the line (shot) or just the fly (bead)?”

I sometimes rely on a bead head to get some depth, although at times you will find that fish are cruising / sipping midges just under the surface and being on the bottom is counter-productive. At times I may use varying amounts of “tacky weight” putty on my tippet / leader knots to get a little more depth. Even small split shot seems to cluck into the water too much, and the putty is infinitely adjustable and easily removed.


”How do you detect strikes? under an indicator? watch for the flash?”

All of the above. An indicator for me usually consists of a pinch of strike putty on the tippet knot. In slow water under the right light conditions, a greased leader (mucillin green works best for me) up to 1’ – 2’ from the fly works well. BTW, put your Flouro back in your vest, regular mono is best for dry midging since it floats, but the flouro will sink your pupa if that’s what you’re after. I have used a larger dry fly as an indicator but I find that if it drifts into another current lane, it tends to drag the smaller midge fly around. Also a visible wet fly that can be seen below the surface (like a bright colored egg pattern) with a midge pupa tied as the point works well for sight fishing and strike detection.


“Freestone, Limestone slow or fast water?”

Yes.


I actually look forward to midge hatches in the winter – the only surface action that you are likely to see until spring, unless you run into some tiny black stones. HTH – good luck.


Mo - take a ride to the YB and give it a try along the wall behind the AB resort - you're sure to "see" some action - you may even catch a fish or two.

 

[2bonthewater]

I usually use the midge as a dropper off a dry fly....for whatever reason, the fish seem to eat the tiny fly over the bigger mayfly.......watched something about the pounds of meat law in a video--seems to hold true

Once while fishing the Jackson River in Virginia, below the dam......it was about 20 degrees and my waders were leaking....in any event, after about 2 hours without a strike on all types of nymphs, I decided to go straight midge--sub-surface.....
I used a two fly rig and produced 2 rainbows within' 20 minutes.....blew my mind!!!! I fished them as I would nymphs and it worked...........would have stayed and fished but with the leaky waders, very cold temps and the fact that I slept in the truck the night before ( sub-zero temps ) I needed to warm up....so I left and found a motel...........

once on spring creek ( bellefonte ), at the ditch or ladies fishing area, a friend and I were fishing along with a bunch of other anglers........nobody was really catching anything.....I told my buddy to try this fly, but it is my only one left---so we have to share the rod......I tied on a size 24 black midge ( black thread, black ostrich herl head--- very very simple fly ) we proceeded to land one fish after the other....giggling like little girls the entire time....it really ticked off the old-timers who were fishing around us.....they were grumbling and mumbling.....one asked what are you guys using-- I stated wax worms, just wax worms!!! So the gent comes over to us and I show him what we were using....he starts scratching his head and says, christ-- I can't use that, I can't tie that onto my line, it is too small....welp, I said, that is what they are hitting.....most of the guys left.....we caught a bunch more before losing the fly......

We giggled because we couldn't believe that for almost over an hour, no strikes, then we put on a fly that equates to thread on a hook and literally catch them one after the other....it was insane..........

dropping a brassie off a nymph has been productive.......with the multitude of colored wire out there, you can create almost any colored brassie you would like...

I just love it when I catch a fish on a super tiny fly......but, there is nothing like a huge fish whacking a size 4 or size 6 woolhead sculpin !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[govtmule]

In the September issue of the free Flyfishing Guide there is a good article from Lefty Kreh about small flies.....

I'm trying to get better with midges/tricos and have found some success with an ant then the midge/trico on 7x behind it. Also tied some size 18 zebra midges and have had luck with them as a dropper on a larger beadhead and under an indicator. I still need tons of practice though.

jeff

 

[albatross]

I said I don't fish them much, but, like Maurice, I feel like I should fish them more than I do. I've accumulated a pretty nice collection of of various sizes and patterns over the years, but I rarley end up fishing them.

I did try a zebra midge on the Yough for a while a week ago with no success.

Thanks to all of you for sharing what you know about this topic!

 

[JeffK]

I think the first comment about midges is that you fish them the same way you fish anything else! You fish them on the bottom when the fish are on the bottom, you fish them to sighted fish when you can see fish, you fish them dead drift on the surface when they are rising - you get the point. Just because they are small you don't need to fish them any different than you do anything else. Don't worry about fish finding them - when fish feed on midges they get real good at seeing them. I have no problem at all fishing 22 Zebra midges on my local stream when it is high and off-color. Imagine they are a size 14 when you are fishing and you will do just fine.

That said, if sight fishing midges are hard to see so some adjustments are in order. Things I do are fish with a shorter line, use an indicator, tie a yellow post on midge dries, or fish them off a dropper from a dry on the surface or a big, little colored nymph (white or chartreuse Honey Bug, chamois fly, Green Weenie, etc) for bottom fishing. Bring reading glasses (with a lanyard or you may lose them) to see the little buggers to tie on. Same sort of adjustments needed to fish tricos.

I love midge fishing, but to be honest I like to use bigger flies where I can. I joke that just about the time one has the patience to fish midges you can't see them to tie on your tippet! Therefore, most of my midge fishing is on heavily fished waters where you need to go small to fool them and/or winter when other things aren't going on and the fish are gorging on midges. Don't need a whole lot of flies to start - 22 Zebra midge, 22 or 19 Als Rat, and a Grittiths Gnat or hackled midge will get you started. I know of a number of people who just use Als Rats and do just fine. Fish feeding on bottom? - add lead and tick the bottom. Fish rising? - take off lead, grease tippet and fly (optional) to keep them near the surface. Als Rat also does good work in a Stimulator- beadhead - Al's Rat combo. Therefore, one way to break the ice on midges is to just have a few Al's Rats and fish them until you find what works. They are a very versatile pattern.

Once you have that first good day on midges, it will be a pretty valuable part of your arsenal.

 

[Maurice]

Great responses so far....I gotta tell ya, it all makes sense but shows how much confidence plays a factor in ones ability to give a fly a chance. Keep it comin'

So far my guess in this game of Clue is "Professor Plum did it in the Limestone streams while sight fishing with a beadhead midge under an indicator."

Sight fishing under an indicator???? to control drift?

I am waiting for Colonel Mustard to weigh in.

And although I wasn't completely clear...I am speaking of midge pupae. Underneath...gimme the low down on the down low. 😎

 

[Chaz]

Keep in mind I don't go out of my way to fish a midge hatch, but when I'm on stream and trout are taking midges I have some special patterns to use for them.

 

[dryflyguy]

One of the best things I've ever done in fly fishing is learning to tie and fish small flies. It's really opened up a whole new world of hatch matching. and makes it possible to fish to risers year round.
I should also point out that I fish strictly dry flies to rising fish.
I too, think it would be fruitless to use midges as searching patterns.

I remember my first attempt at small flies - the trico hatch on spring creek in state college over 20 years. I think I caught 2 or 3 small fish that morning, and thought I did OK. Since then, I've had some mornings landing 20-30 fish on tricos there.
When I first started, I thought a #24 trico was quite small.
Now, I routinely catch fish on flies down to #32

Some things I've learned over the years:

Use good hooks with a wide gap. I like tiemco #518, orvis big eye hooks, although these only go down to #26, and partridge vince marinaro midge hooks - these are quite expensive now.

I always try to stay below the fish when fishing small flies, so that the hook is pulled back into the jaw. This definitely increases your hookups.

I don't use indicators with tiny flies - just fish by sight. Believe it or not, depending how the glare is, sometimes I can actually see the fly - even the #32's - on the water. If not, I just watch the pocket of water where the fly lands, and pull if I see a rise. I've caught many fish like this, and it doesn't take long to get the hang of

Give the small stuff a try - I find it fascinating to catch fish on flies tht small. it's really grown on me over the years

 

[jayL]

"I too, think it would be fruitless to use midges as searching patterns."

I guess it depends on your definition of fruit, but I know I'm not alone in using a zebra midge as one of my top producing searching patterns with great success.

 

[dryflyguy]

jay - I pointed out at the beginning of my post that I fish strictly dry flies, and was referring to dry fly midges

 

[jayL]

I know, I just wanted to point out that it's not an unsuccessful method, as some might draw from that. It's a very effective method.

I wish I had the patience to fish only dries, by the way. I think that's pretty cool.

 

[dryflyguy]

That's funny - I've always thought it takes a lot more patience to nymph fish, which I sure don't have.
Fishing the rise has always been what it's all about IMO - you know a fish is there and he's feeding. You just have to hit him with the right fly.
I've always kinda admired guys that have the patience to nymph fish the water blindly - not really knowing if anything is going on down there.
Anyway, I've read so many good things about zebra midges, I think I'm going to tie some up this winter. More ammo to try when they absolutely won't take anything on top

 

[flyfishermanj]

I don't fish midges as often as I should. I usually try as a last resort. That is dryfly wise, though I will put on a small serendipity behind most of my nypmhs.

JH

 

[thedude1534]

When midge nymphing, I usually go by the rule the lower, clearer, and slower the water, the smaller the fly. That being said, if I happen on a stream (spring creek has been a perfect example this fall) where the water is very low and clear, I'll use a midge as a searching pattern in the riffles, and when the water is a little higher, I'll use it at the tail end of slow pools.

When streams are low, there aren't many nymphs being swept off their rock homes to provide decent sources of protein, so the fish will instead key in on the little larvae (or very small nymphs). Also, when the water is clear or slow, the fish get a better chance to look at what your throwing, instead of instinctually chomping anything that resembles a nymph as they do in faster, cloudier water.

 

[ryanh]

Col Mustard,
Never throw a midge when you can chuck a bugger. :lol: