Fly Fishing

ChrisR · Location: Southeast Massachusetts

Just wondering how many folks here frequently fish midge patterns? I was fishing the Battenkill river this past weekend and saw rising fish but no noticeable bug activity. Noticeable in anything that's the size of a caddis or mayfly anyway. It got me thinking that maybe I should look a bit hard into midge patterns. Anyone have any favorite midge patterns? Anyone have a lot of success with these patterns when it seems like the fish aren't feeding on anything that's bigger than a size 20?

waterwhippa · Location: Upstate, NY

Chris, my guess is that there were tricos on the water. This time of year is when you can see some pretty heavy trico action in the Northeast. Mostly early morning is the most productive.

ChrisR · Location: Southeast Massachusetts

Definitely wasn't trico's. That's actually one of the primary hatches I fish on that water. The air temp was in the 50's and it was overcast with showers. I usually do well with trico's on those nice sunny mornings from 7 to 10 on days that are going to heat up quickly. I was thinking tiny BWO's but they didn't have any interest in those either. I did a pretty long look in the water for bugs. Nothing much was floating by. Very small, what looked to be, midge pupa here and there. That's what got me thinking about the midge patterns and how big of a part they are in a trout's diet.

waterwhippa · Location: Upstate, NY

Chris, with air temps in the 50's and overcast, my next guess is Psuedocloeon (tiny blue winged olive) 20 -26

jason-c · Posted: Wed 08/03/05 3:10 pm Post subject: Psuedocloeon

We have those hatches out here. They are extremely frustrating!

ChrisR · Location: Southeast Massachusetts

Yup that was the first fly out of my box after taking all that weather in. The fish were sipping from the surface film. I didn't see any duns so I tied on a size 22 BWO emerger. Nada. Switched to a small PT nymph to try sub surface. Still nothing. I even threw on a dun for the hell of it and still not a thing. I also tried a few small caddis patterns and the trico patterns even though I didn't think they'd come off in that weather.

At any rate I started thinking about the midge hatches that we as fly fisherman typically neglect. I know I've never paid them much mind. I'll usually fish a mayfly or caddis and if I can't figure them out call it a day. I read this article on flyfisherman magazines site about midges. It pretty much gave you a life cycle run down and stated how big a part they play in a trout's diet. Also a pretty good run down on how to fish them. The article mainly refered to western rivers but I would have to think there a probably more than enough varieties of midge in the north east as well.

I think I'll tie a bunch up and see what happens next time I go up there. They had quite a few pics of huge trout caught on the tinyest flies. Not much of a fly either. Looks like a hook with thread and not much more.

KodiakCommando · Location: Kodiak, Alaska

I have never fished midge hatche for about a 9 years. Used to a lot with my dad when we lived in utah but since we moved to alaska the only insect hatches i fish are caddis for lake bows and grayling. Otherwise trout fishin up here is about leeches, sculpins, eggs and flesh.

jason-c · Posted: Wed 08/03/05 10:40 pm Post subject: Psuedocloeon

Psuedocloeons are not midges. Midges are easy to fish. Psuedocloeons (May Flies) are just big enough for fish to really see them and just small enough for you not to. The fish key in on them and it really sucks. I usually go with a beetle pattern at that point.

waterwhippa · Location: Upstate, NY

I agree with Jason. When the fish are keying on micro small stuff, I prefer to use smash the hatch tactics. Flying ants, beetles etc... give it a try next time the trout have you perplexed.

jeremy · Location: Portland, Maine

when they are on super super small stuff like that....i usually do the following.

1. go to a smaller and smaller size
2. stare at small little bubbles or miscellaneos tiny objects floating down river - all the while - thinking that these things are my fly
3. i then set the hook numerous times on rising fish only to find out that my fly was at least 7 feet away from the rising fish
4. i then resort to a most obvious, least obvious tactic and unleash an arsenal of huge flies and streamers
5. innevetably...i hook monster fish....small mouth bass
6. i then quit
7. i then get home and feel tortured by those fish. i can't get them out of my head.
8. i then plan an early..early...morning assault and just as the sun comes up all those trout put their guard down and start feeding carelessly. at that point and time i will throw anything that floats or sinks...doesn't much matter...and they take it.
9. my ego starts to sink as the sun rises higher in the sky and the trout are no longer easily tricked.
10. refer back to number 1