Just What We Need, Another Midge Pattern

 

"Think of trout as predators (that’ll can be hard at first)" - Comment left on another blog (Of course they're predators! What the hell do you think they are, vegetarians???)

Battleship Midge 

I woke up Saturday morning around 4:30 am from a dream about midges or more accurately from a dream about small flies.  The stage was the Bubbler Arm and the Y Pool of the Swift. It is a winter day but the mid day air temperature would kiss the 40 degree mark and trout would be dimpling the surface. My fly selection is a mix of surface flies and emergers mimicking generic midges, black fly larvae and Winter Caddis all in the size 20 to 26 range. This is basically the only time and method that I use to fish this section of the Swift unless the salmon have come over the spillway.

There is surface pattern that I like under these conditions. The Battleship Midge (my creation) floats like a skittering midge or Winter Caddis and the CDC wing catches the wind and gives it natural movement.

Hook - curved scud style from 22 to 24

Body - black 12/0 thread

Wing - Dun colored CDC tied in like a tail and then cut about half a fly length

Hackle - Dun or black size 20 dry fly hackle. Clip the bottom of the hackle

                                                                             Olive And Starling Emerger

Hook - size 20 to 24

Body - fine olive floss or 12/0 olive thread (brown thread of floss works too)

Hackle - Black Starling

Fish this on a down and across swing

Good Old Pinheads

This is my favorite black fly larvae pattern. These guys love fast riffle water and there are spots on the bubbler which is perfect for them.  Another good spot is the Pipe outflow.  In fact, the total length of the outflow from the hatchery to the river has MILLIONS of them and they are constantly being flushed into the Swift.  Size 18 through 24 on a standard dry fly hook works for me.

Don't forget your 2021 license