Zebra Midge

Midge pattern imitating chironomids, for trout. Beginner. Ted Welling.

A slim tapered black thread body with a silver wire rib, behind a silver bead, on a short curved hook.

Materials

Steps

  1. Slide on bead: silver brass bead Slide the silver brass bead round the bend and up to the eye, small hole first. Small hole first, up against the eye.
  2. Attach thread Attach the thread at 90% of the way along the shank with a few turns and trim the tag end. Right behind the bead, with a small dam so it can't slide back.
  3. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to the start of the bend in touching turns. Partway down the bend.
  4. Tie in: silver wire Tie in the silver wire with a few firm thread turns. On the near side.
  5. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 90% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
  6. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 35% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
  7. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 90% of the way along the shank in touching turns. Build a slim taper: thinnest at the rear, thickest behind the bead.
  8. Wind: silver wire Wind the silver wire forward to 90% of the way along the shank in 6 turns. Evenly spaced open turns.
  9. Tie off: silver wire Tie off the silver wire with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
  10. Whip finish Form a small head, whip finish with 5 turns and cut the thread. Behind the bead.

History

Created by Ted Welling, a guide at Lees Ferry on the Colorado River in Arizona, a tailwater full of midges at the head of the Grand Canyon. Ralph Scherder dates it to about 1996 and sees it as a variation of Kelly Davidson's Ice Cream Cone, a 1992 chironomid for British Columbia lakes; other sources give no date or ancestor.

Fishing it

Imitates a midge pupa that sinks quickly; McFly Angler argues the silver bead makes it an emerger. Fish it under an indicator, below a dry fly, or as a dropper behind a larger fly such as a San Juan Worm or egg; Pat Dorsey, cited by Orvis News, finds fish are often drawn by the big fly but take the midge. It works all year, best from autumn to early spring, on tailwaters, freestones and lakes. Red and olive bodies are popular colour variants.

Sources