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3. Midges

When throwing a midge larva, do you add weight to it? Or let it trail behind the strike indicator just below the surface of the water? Or, should I trail it as a drop behind a dry fly? I'm still learning a lot about nymphing and larval stages and the techniques associated with them. The midges in the air seem to be around size 20-24 and have black bodies but appear to be white or cream colored as they are flying. I can't get anything to bite on my Griffith's gnat or my midge larval patterns. What am I doing wrong? Any tips would be great. Thanks.

I have had much luck with midges in my years on the water... Here are a few tips. Keep split shots on any larvae patterns because they live in the ground until the water temperature rises enough to make the bug emerge and float ro surface or subsurface... The best thing to do is to find out where the fish are... If you see trout subsurface i would recommend little to no weight but if the trout are hanging on the bottom i would suggest heavy weight like maybe a no. 4 or 6 shot depending on the water flow. get your immitation as close as possible to its natural environment for the best of luck!

This may sound crazy, and maybe it is, but it works in some situations. Try stripping midge emerger patterns (around 3-6" at a time) such as a Palomino Midge. I have a friend who fishes the foam in a waterfall pool and takes a number of browns by way of this technique, and he swears by the Palomino Midge. The technique also works in other "normal" situations, though, so you might give it a shot next time you're out.

Also, I have had some level of success with the Sangre de Cristo Midge fished as a dry fly. These have a lower profile in the water, can work as an emerger pattern, and they're reasonably easy to tie in smaller sizes.

Hope that helps a little bit.

Chris.

For dry action try tiny parachutes tied on Tiemco 2488 or 2499 hooks. I like high vis for the post, and sometimes tie a loose CDC shuck over the body as a veil. Larva and pupa imitations may be dropped off the bend of the hook with a length of 9-18" tippet material. Concentrate on getting a drag free drift with the dry. Good luck!