Midges are the main source of food for trout throughout the winter and even though they are very small, they are usually abundant. If you’re going to a spring creek or tailwater, you will want to have some in either this pattern or others. This is an adult midge, not easy to see on the water, so best to trail it off of a fly that you can see. You will be needing to use thin tippet such as 6X.
HOOK: TMC 101 size 20. This is a straight eye hook. Crimp barb.
THREAD: 12/0 or 14/0 black Attached behind eye. Touching wraps to rear of shank.
BODY: beaver, black. Wrap a non-tapered body forward to one eye length behind eye. Make one thread wrap backward onto body and let thread hang.
WINGS: 2 dark dun hackle tips from size 16 neck feathers. Position one on the far side of body with dark side outward and tips hook shank length. Tie in place. Repeat with other hackle tip on near side.
HACKLE: Grizzly saddle, hackle size 20. Prepare butt end with “crew cut”. Tie in “crew cut” with light side facing you. Several wraps of hackle in place. Tie off cut access.
HEAD: Whip finish forming head. Cut thread.
Posted on September 18th, 2024