Fly of the Month 01.23 Gray Goose Midge Emerger
The “fly of the month” series for 2023 will celebrate the Fly Fishers International Fly Tying Group Fly Tying Skills Awards Program. Each month Tom and I will present one of the fly patterns used to evaluate a fly tyer’s skills toward a Bronze Level in the first six months, then one of the fly pattern used to evaluate a fly tyer’s skills toward a Silver Level in the later part of the year. The first fly pattern in the Bronze Level series is a midge emerger which is typically one of the most effective fly patterns for trout as a winter day begins to warm ups.
Gray Goose Midge Emerger
There are approximately 1,000 different midge species. Midges are likely to be the morning hatch on any sunny, winter day in pools on any stream as well as in tailwaters, in stillwaters and in spring creeks. Midges can complete an entire life cycle during the winter months. Many species of midges can move from egg to adult in a few weeks. During the winter, up to 50% of a trout’s diet may be midges. Every fly fisher, should have midge patterns in the fly box.
There are four stages to the midge life cycle that an angler needs to understand - larva, pupa, emerger, and adult stage. A good example of a fly pattern for the larva and pupa stages is the Zebra Midge. A good example of a fly pattern for the adult stage is the Griffith’s Gnat which imitates a cluster of adult midges floating on the surface. Of these stages, focusing mainly on the underwater stages provide the best results, because most midges are eaten by trout in their subsurface stages. All sizes of trout will eat a midge and although small, trout will eat any size of of food when hungry.
The emerger stage gives the angler a good chance to match the hatch as the trout work quickly to consume midges before they surface, hatch and circle over the water in crazy flight patterns. Once midges move out of the pupa stage, they begin to float to the surface of the water with a small bubble as an emerger. At this stage, the midge is most vulnerable to be eaten by a trout.
Midges are the primary food source for trout in the winter! A body of water in the winter with active midge hatches is going to induce far more strikes on midges than other fly patterns. Focus on pockets of slow moving water outside of the fast current. In the winter, the trout are less active than in the warmer months so they are typically in gentler water.
Tying the fly pattern for the Bronze Level Submission
Visit the FFI website and navigate to the Fly Tying Group, then to the Bronze Award Handbook pages. The website has excellent instructions as to how to tie and submit the required group of fly patterns to an FFI Bronze Award Evaluator. The website includes a video presenting each step to tie the Gray Goose Midge Emerger. The handbook is easy to understand and follow. Tie three flies with consistency for the Bronze Awards submission, then tie more for the fly box.
Fly of the Month 01.23
Gray Goose Midge Emerger
Hook: #10 Scud hook
Thread: 8/0 Black Uni-thread or equivalent
Rib: Fine silver wire
Body: Goose wing fibers, Natural or Gray
Wingcase: Goose wing fibers, Natural or Gray
Thorax: Peacock herl
Head: Whip-finish and head cement
Note: For those that do not have goose wing fibers (Canada goose feathers may be a challenge to acquire), substitute turkey tail fibers.
Directions:
1) Insert the hook into the vise.
2) Attach the thread, then form a neat underbody extending half way around the bend of the hook.
3) Tie in the rib at the end of the underbody.
4) Tie in 4 fibers of Goose or Turkey by the tips. Take the thread to the thorax position.
5) Wrap the Goose or Turkey fibers forward to form an even body, keeping the herl flat as you wrap with the top side of the barbs up, stopping half way along the hook shank and remove waste.
6) Reverse wrap the rib forward in even turns for segmentation and strength. Break or “worry off’ the excess wire. Make five wraps of ribbing.
7) Tie in 6 strands of Goose or Turkey fibers for the Wingcase.
8) Tie in 2 strands of peacock herl. Wrap the thread forward to a position right behind the eye of the hook.
9) Wrap the peacock herls forward in touching turns and just short of the eye to form the thorax leaving room for a thread head. Trim off the excess.
10) Carefully bring the goose or Turkey fibers up and over the top of the thorax to form a Wingcase and tie down the fibers.
11) Keep the fibers together on top the hook and trim the excess.
12) Form a neat head, whip-finish and apply head cement.
Note: For more selection options in the fly box, tie other colors in addition to gray.
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker
The “fly of the month” series for 2023 will celebrate the Fly Fishers International Fly Tying Group Fly Tying Skills Awards Program. Each month Tom and I will present one of the fly patterns used to evaluate a fly tyer’s skills toward a Bronze Level in the first six months, then one of the fly pattern used to evaluate a fly tyer’s skills toward a Silver Level in the later part of the year. The first fly pattern in the Bronze Level series is a midge emerger which is typically one of the most effective fly patterns for trout as a winter day begins to warm ups.
Gray Goose Midge Emerger
There are approximately 1,000 different midge species. Midges are likely to be the morning hatch on any sunny, winter day in pools on any stream as well as in tailwaters, in stillwaters and in spring creeks. Midges can complete an entire life cycle during the winter months. Many species of midges can move from egg to adult in a few weeks. During the winter, up to 50% of a trout’s diet may be midges. Every fly fisher, should have midge patterns in the fly box.
There are four stages to the midge life cycle that an angler needs to understand - larva, pupa, emerger, and adult stage. A good example of a fly pattern for the larva and pupa stages is the Zebra Midge. A good example of a fly pattern for the adult stage is the Griffith’s Gnat which imitates a cluster of adult midges floating on the surface. Of these stages, focusing mainly on the underwater stages provide the best results, because most midges are eaten by trout in their subsurface stages. All sizes of trout will eat a midge and although small, trout will eat any size of of food when hungry.
The emerger stage gives the angler a good chance to match the hatch as the trout work quickly to consume midges before they surface, hatch and circle over the water in crazy flight patterns. Once midges move out of the pupa stage, they begin to float to the surface of the water with a small bubble as an emerger. At this stage, the midge is most vulnerable to be eaten by a trout.
Midges are the primary food source for trout in the winter! A body of water in the winter with active midge hatches is going to induce far more strikes on midges than other fly patterns. Focus on pockets of slow moving water outside of the fast current. In the winter, the trout are less active than in the warmer months so they are typically in gentler water.
Tying the fly pattern for the Bronze Level Submission
Visit the FFI website and navigate to the Fly Tying Group, then to the Bronze Award Handbook pages. The website has excellent instructions as to how to tie and submit the required group of fly patterns to an FFI Bronze Award Evaluator. The website includes a video presenting each step to tie the Gray Goose Midge Emerger. The handbook is easy to understand and follow. Tie three flies with consistency for the Bronze Awards submission, then tie more for the fly box.
Fly of the Month 01.23
Gray Goose Midge Emerger
Hook: #10 Scud hook
Thread: 8/0 Black Uni-thread or equivalent
Rib: Fine silver wire
Body: Goose wing fibers, Natural or Gray
Wingcase: Goose wing fibers, Natural or Gray
Thorax: Peacock herl
Head: Whip-finish and head cement
Note: For those that do not have goose wing fibers (Canada goose feathers may be a challenge to acquire), substitute turkey tail fibers.
Directions:
1) Insert the hook into the vise.
2) Attach the thread, then form a neat underbody extending half way around the bend of the hook.
3) Tie in the rib at the end of the underbody.
4) Tie in 4 fibers of Goose or Turkey by the tips. Take the thread to the thorax position.
5) Wrap the Goose or Turkey fibers forward to form an even body, keeping the herl flat as you wrap with the top side of the barbs up, stopping half way along the hook shank and remove waste.
6) Reverse wrap the rib forward in even turns for segmentation and strength. Break or “worry off’ the excess wire. Make five wraps of ribbing.
7) Tie in 6 strands of Goose or Turkey fibers for the Wingcase.
8) Tie in 2 strands of peacock herl. Wrap the thread forward to a position right behind the eye of the hook.
9) Wrap the peacock herls forward in touching turns and just short of the eye to form the thorax leaving room for a thread head. Trim off the excess.
10) Carefully bring the goose or Turkey fibers up and over the top of the thorax to form a Wingcase and tie down the fibers.
11) Keep the fibers together on top the hook and trim the excess.
12) Form a neat head, whip-finish and apply head cement.
Note: For more selection options in the fly box, tie other colors in addition to gray.
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker