This midge larva should
probably be imitated with a
brown and cream colored fly.
Many of the midge larvae have
translucent bodies with different
colored insides.
Flies: Midges
Fly Fishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Midges can be imitated in all 3 stages of life.
Trout will eat the adults, pupae and larvae. By far
the most important is the pupa stage. Ideally you
will carry a variety of sizes and colors. Quite
frankly, the midge flies that are available
commercially are lacking big time. The bead
heads will catch fish but not as well as the
non-bead heads. The bead heads are easier to
fish because of the added weight but not as
effective as more realistic patterns. You should
adjust the weight using split shot because you
can do so much more effectively that a
predetermined or set weight of a bead head
pattern. You are much better off tying your own
patterns. The following are our
recommendations if you buy them commercially.
You should have larva and pupa imitations in
tan, black, olive and gray. We have found these to
be the principal colors of the midges in the park
although they exist in almost every color there
are. We suggest sizes from 18 to 24, mostly the
20 and 22 hook sizes.
Please keep in mind that we are not recommending any
of these companies over anyone else that sells the same
fly. We have no return favors, commission or other
consideration for listing them. Our only purpose is to
provide you, the viewer of this site, information that is
useful. Because there are so many takeoffs and patterns
with similar names we want to recommend specific flies
that you can obtain commercially. For those that tie
their own flies, we will also provide our on "Perfect Fly
Patterns" that will soon be shown in our Fly Tying DVDs.
Orvis product is sold by several local fly shops near the
Smokies. Troutflies.com has the best online selection of
flies we know of.

Larva:
WD-40: 18, 20, & 22
Tan, Olive,
Troutflies.com: Rainbow Midge: 20, 24
                   Black Beauty 20 & 22
Pupa:
M and M : 20, 22, & 24
Olive and Black
CDC Midge Pupa: 20, 22, & 24
Troutflies.com; Midge Pupa Black 18 &20
                 CDC Emerging Midge 18 & 20
Adult:
Midge: 20, 22, 24 & 26
Gray, Black, Cream and Olive
Troutflies.com: Dry Midges: 20 & 22 Olive &
Black

Copyright 2007 James Marsh
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