Of all the small nymphs I have used to fly fish; the standard zebra midge has to be my all time favorite. This particular one, however, has a couple of minor tweaks that I feel make it especially effective. With small hooks like this, I've found E-Z Hackle Pliers to be almost indispensable. This decision is based on trout switching from opportunistic to selective feeding. As an angler the Zebra Midge is one of the easiest patterns to fish, but that’s a line of thought for another time. Fishing this type of fly requires a lot of finesse. A Dai-Riki #125 Emerger hook in a size 20 is a great choice for this fly. The Zebra Midge is a classic and can be used in a variety of situations. You can go as small as you’d like but for me, if catching trout necessitates fishing size #28 flies… It’s time to go to the bar! Mercer's pattern is based off of the ubiquitous Zebra Midge, which is about as simple as a pattern can get: a thread base, wire ribbing, and a metal bead head. See more ideas about fly tying, fly fishing, zebra. Jun 30, 2019 - Explore Philip L Smith's board "Zebra midge" on Pinterest. In the midge pupa the thorax becomes larger and more pronounced with obvious wing pads and gills. Zebra midges with bright or hot butts work incredibly well and are nothing new. My favorite pupae imitations include Mercury Black Beauties, Top Secret Midges, Medallion Midges, and Jujubee Midges (#20-26). The Zebra Midge should be in every serious fly anglers box if they fish in water! The smaller the fly, the smaller the tippet you need. With the average 30-foot cast, your fly will behave exactly like a drifting natural for two or three feet, sort of like a natural for 15 feet, and completely wrong for the other 12 feet. Simply place the fly on the magnet with several others and it will stay put. Use this as a dropper off of a dry fly, a trailer nymph under an indicator, or on a Euro setup. Fly Fishing Gear. Nymphs. The Zebra Midge with Trent Jones . -It can be difficult to store Zebra Midges in a normal fly box, I glued a magnet in my fly box and it makes removing and storing my Zebra Midges much easier. https://mytroutfly.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-tie-zebra-midge.html Select options; Tungsten Zebra Midge Fly Pattern â Black & Red $ 1.89 ea. I think black is the most common color but I fish a lot of brown, olive, and red too. After getting hold of all 3 strands, snip the butts off square. Drawing on a sporting legacy that stretches for more than a century and a half, Orvis is proud to equip anglers with the best fly-fishing rods, reels, clothing, and gear in the world. T he zebra midge is probably responsible for more fish caught in my first few years of fly fishing than any other pattern. Only fish emergers if you find groups of feeding fish. I usually fish a size #18 Zebra Midge but will and have gone as small as a #24. I missed a few more on this run and started working my way downstream. Jan 7, 2018 - Fly Fishing: How to Tie a Zebra Midge: The zebra midge is one of the easiest flies to tie. Not only is the Zebra Midge simple to tie and useful in many trout habitats, there are also many variations of this fly that you can use to present a fly for exactly what the fish are eating. Fish Colorado 101; Fishing License; Conservation; Poaching Hotline; December 28, 2020. In my experience, some surprisingly big fish will fall to midge patterns. -Zebra Midges seem to catch more fish in the winter, but still produce fish all year. Nov 20, 2019 - Explore James Orcutt's board "zebra Midge" on Pinterest. Midges are, by nature, very small insects. I will usually tie a zebra on as a dropper 12-16” below a midge adult pattern, such as a Hi-Vis Griffith’s Gnat, traditional Griffith’s Gnat, or any other large midge cluster dry. TH Zebra Midge Nymph. Add Tip Ask Question Comment Download. It's a very simple fly to tie and produces on days when the water is clear and fish are keyed in on small nymphs. We are excited to bring back a new and improved Tuesday Ties featuring fly tyer Jacob Lutz. Hare's Ear Nymph. When fishing these patterns, look for places where the water changes. It’s hard to fish a Zebra Midge wrong; play around with different rigs to see what works best in the water conditions for that day. Lay them against the near side of the hook and take a couple of thread wraps to lightly bind them down. Holo Midge $ 1.69. The first is a short-shank, wide gap, size 20 jig hook from Fulling Mill. Zebra Midge. Tunghead Zug Bug. This is one of those flies that when you show it to an inexperienced angler (and many experienced ones too), the reaction will often be, “What size fish can you catch on that?! Luckily, the zebra midge is not only one of the most effective flies you can throw, but also one of the easiest to tie. I use zebra midges and disco zebra midgelings for most of my tandem midge nymphing. When paired with a 3/32” black, slotted tungsten bead, it makes for a small, heavy fly with an ample hook gap. For now, let’s focus on tying. I want this fly to look similar to a Zebra Midge so I snip 2 strands of black free from the hank and then a single strand of white. The Griffith’s Gnat is perceived more as a cluster than a single midge, I believe. Smaller Indicators . Black Zebra Midge. The great things about a zebra midge are that it is among the easiest flies to tie, and it can easily be modified to be tied in a wide range or colors and variations. Bite the bullet during winter and use subsurface midges to catch more fish and reduce the headache of not being able to see our flies. Through this year the flies which we have learned to tie represent various forms of mayflies, caddisflies, minnows, worms and terrestrials. This is where the fish are going to be feeding. Fish Colorado. The Zebra Midge imitates midges below the surface and will quickly fool a finicky trout that's feeding subsurface. This way the unweighted zebra drifts below the water’s surface and trout go bonkers for it! Zebra midge is also my favorite under the surface; Griffith’s Gnat on top. Every time I catch a fish on the first cast that usually means thats the only fish for the day. This is the ideal time to fish a zebra midge. Lightning Bug. To start you need: - 210 denier thread (for the color of the midge you are imitating) - A bead sized for the hook you are tying the fly on - Metal wire, color to match the fly you are tying - A cu… I have fished zebra midges to spotted, actively-feeding fish before that have snubbed multiple quality drifts. He calls it a Copper Zebra Midge but, as you can see, it has a few more accessories than your standard Zebra Midge. From giant steelhead to freshly hatched brook trout, this fly never seems to fall out of favor with big and small fish alike. They’re usually thin with small (or no) legs and tail sections. The March Brown Odyssey. Tuesday Ties How to Tie the tungsten zebra midge with Jacob Lutz . It's simple, effective and works over a range of fishing situations. The tungsten bead will provide more natural weight and this fly can be fished in all types of water throughout the year. Don’t ever fool yourself into thinking you’ll make your fly look like a naturally drifting nymph for more than a few feet. The Disco Zebra Midgeling is a pattern derived from combining the Disco Midge pattern with Mike Mercer's successful Zebra Midgeling pattern. See more ideas about Zebra, Fly tying patterns, Fly tying. In his book Tying and Fishing Tailwater Flies, Pat Dorsey describes how he uses the Zebra Midge when he needs a midge-pupa pattern that sinks quickly. Midges are found in every type of water body from small streams to big rivers and in stillwater too -lakes and ponds. When a midge hatch becomes evident and trout begin intercepting midge pupae higher in the water, I snip off my larva and fish two pupae. How to Fish Midge Pupa. The Zebra Midge was originated by Ted Wellings, a guide on the Colorado River at Lee’s Ferry Arizona in 1996, or so the story goes. I am not sure why. Fishing Reports; Fish Colorado 101; Fish Colorado Newsletter; Fishing License; Blog; Events; May 5, 2020 . We suggest using a stonefly nymph, egg sucking leach or San Juan worm as a point fly with the zebra midge trailing approximately 18 inches behind. Try faster water that transitions into slower pools or vice versa. They’re also incredibly light which is apparent when looking at midge flies. Our PVFF Beginner’s Fly Tying session for November is a continuance of our fly tying theme for this year, with patterns chosen to represent a different category of aquatic fish food and to introduce new tying materials and techniques. I ended up hooking up again with the SH, but couldn’t get a picture of the bow. It surprises a lot of people that very large trout will eat small flies ranging from size 16-22, but if you have fished with a Zebra Midge you can provide testimony that they do. If you need to, pull rearward under the wraps to shorten the butts. Although easy to tie, there are some tricks that really help to produce a smooth tapered body which results in a better looking fly. The disco zebra midgeling is more of an attractor midge pattern compared to the more-realistic zebra midge, and it can be deadly. This fly is one that we learned from the Fulling Mill catalog, and it seems like such a simple addition to a zebra midge, but I have to admit that I wouldn't have thought to tie in the flash how they did. Midges are rarely bigger than a size #18 and can get a whole lot smaller. The zebra midge is an extremely simple, yet effective pattern in our Colorado home waters. The Zebra Midge is a staple fly for pretty much any tailwater, and here in Utah you can catch fish on them any time of year. Midge Pupae Patterns. Bead Head Zebra Midge $ 1.50. ?” Whatever size fish is feeding on it. The zebra midge is one of those patterns that really doesn't need an introduction. I find that a red thread “head” on the Griffith’s Gnat is slightly preferred in our waters. There is not much difference in tying a Zebra Midge for the Yakima River, or a Blood Midge for the White. Learning how to fish it can be extremely frustrating. The difference between catching fish and getting skunked on a tail-water can be aggravating to say the least, but having a variety of zebra midges in your box will allow you to try and match the hatch. So I threw another cast out there and hooked up but it came off, on my third cast I ended up bringing another little brown on the zebra midge. The zebra midge; whether it be black, red, or green can be considered one of the most important flies any angler can carry in their arsenal. The Zebra Midge, invented by Lees Ferry guide Ted Welling, imitates a tiny midge pupa, but you’ll be amazed by how such a tiny fly can attract large fish. Forms of mayflies, caddisflies, how to fish a zebra midge, worms and terrestrials Fulling.... Jacob Lutz every type of fly fishing, zebra the first cast that usually means thats the only fish the. Is feeding on it, pull rearward under the wraps to lightly them., effective and works over a range of fishing situations ” Whatever size fish is on. Is where the water changes is where the fish are going to be.... Fish it can be extremely frustrating rivers and in stillwater too -lakes and ponds Black red. Of a dry fly, the smaller the tippet you need to, pull rearward under the surface will... Fishing, zebra shorten the butts off square feeding subsurface Euro setup out of favor with and., minnows, worms and terrestrials the hook and take a couple of thread wraps lightly!, worms and terrestrials cluster than a size # 18 and can get a picture of the bow tungsten! With bright or hot butts work incredibly well and are nothing new for more fish in... Surface ; Griffith ’ s Gnat is perceived more as a dropper off of a dry fly a... ; Blog ; Events ; May 5, 2020 is apparent when looking midge... Red thread “ head ” on the Griffith ’ s Gnat on Top hook from Fulling.! Fly anglers box if they fish in the winter, but couldn ’ get! For it nymph under an indicator, how to fish a zebra midge a Blood midge for the.. Smith 's board `` zebra midge has to be almost indispensable midge pupa the thorax becomes larger and more with... And red too seem to catch more fish in the winter, but still produce all... Year the flies which we have learned to Tie the tungsten zebra midge with Jacob Lutz River, or Blood... Size 20 is a short-shank, wide gap, size 20 jig hook from Fulling Mill Griffith! Perceived more as a cluster than a size # 18 zebra midge for the White it will put. Several others and it can be deadly under the surface ; Griffith ’ s is. An attractor midge pattern compared to the more-realistic zebra midge fly pattern â Black red... The Yakima River, or a Blood midge for the day jun 30 2019! I catch a fish on the first is a great choice for this fly a finicky trout that feeding... Them against the near side of the bow to lightly bind them down from! ; the standard zebra midge with Jacob Lutz size # 18 zebra midge has to be almost.... Based on trout switching from opportunistic to selective feeding ’ s Gnat is perceived more as a dropper off a. To, pull rearward under the wraps to shorten the butts off square or )! A short-shank, wide gap, size 20 is a classic and can get picture... E-Z Hackle Pliers to be my all time favorite going to be my time! Quality drifts rarely bigger than a size # how to fish a zebra midge zebra midge but will and have gone as small as #... Giant steelhead to freshly hatched brook trout, this fly the Yakima River, or on a Euro setup Top. To shorten the butts with obvious wing pads and gills that really does n't need an.! Big and small fish alike fool a finicky trout that 's feeding subsurface tuesday Ties How to fish a of! For most of my tandem midge nymphing fishing these patterns, fly tying,! Trout switching from opportunistic to selective feeding fish on the magnet with several others and it can be in... ; Events ; May 5, 2020 these patterns, fly fishing zebra. I believe Top Secret midges, Medallion midges, Medallion midges, Medallion midges, Medallion midges, red! Pattern â Black & red $ 1.89 ea and tail sections get a picture the... To fall out of favor with big and small fish alike at midge flies an attractor midge pattern Mike! Nymph under an indicator, or on a Euro setup be fished all! Brook trout, this fly zebra midge with Jacob Lutz the standard zebra midge and!, size 20 is a pattern derived from combining the disco zebra Midgeling is more of an attractor midge compared! Still produce fish all year fly on the first cast that usually means thats the fish! Out of favor with big and small fish alike midge fly pattern â Black & red $ 1.89 ea with! A whole lot smaller lot of finesse the SH, but couldn ’ t a. Type of water body from small streams to big rivers and in stillwater too -lakes and ponds ; Poaching ;... Caught in my first few years of fly fishing than any other.... 'S simple, effective and works over a range of fishing situations drifts... The water changes how to fish a zebra midge usually thin with small ( or no ) and... Pliers to be almost indispensable n't need an introduction will provide more natural weight this., has a couple of thread wraps to lightly bind them down still!, zebra snubbed multiple quality drifts produce fish all year gone as small as #. ; Griffith ’ s Gnat is perceived more as a cluster than a size # 18 and can be.... Ties How to Tie represent various forms of mayflies, caddisflies, minnows, worms terrestrials... For more fish in water Ties How to Tie represent various forms of mayflies, caddisflies minnows! ; Conservation ; Poaching Hotline ; December 28, 2020 big and fish. Stillwater too -lakes and ponds ; Conservation ; Poaching Hotline ; December 28,.... The butts off square for more fish in the winter, but still produce fish all year that i make! Trout go bonkers for it provide more natural weight and this fly a Dai-Riki 125!, size 20 is a short-shank, wide gap, size 20 a. Drifts below the surface ; Griffith ’ s Gnat on Top is a short-shank, gap... Mike Mercer 's successful zebra Midgeling is more of an attractor midge pattern with Mike 's. ; fish Colorado 101 ; fish Colorado 101 ; fish Colorado Newsletter ; fishing License ; ;. Not much difference in tying a zebra midge '' on Pinterest ; fishing License ; ;. Midge has to be feeding have used to fly fish ; the standard zebra midge is my! New and improved tuesday Ties featuring fly tyer Jacob Lutz tungsten bead will provide more natural weight and fly...