Top 6 Mids
- Thread starter Irafly
- Start date
I also don’t fish mids much in the early morning, but I do fish them under cloudy low light conditions. I have found that in those cases, a white bead tends to work better, but not always. White beads also tend to work better in algae stained or tannin water. Some gill material catches the algae and gums it up, where the white beads stays clean.
In clear water gills tend to work better, but I have not seen that light condition for color of the mid matters. In that case the size and color of the mid are more important.
Chrome patterns work best when their is an actual hatch. Chironomids will start building up gases as they rise in the water column and as such they turn chrome, most of the time regardless of their color before actively rising. With the hemoglobin in their bodies, many then have a copperish red rib that shows, but many are also chrome with a black rib.
Blood worms are a whole different life stage of the midge, this is a pupal stage thread, not a larval stage thread
troutpocket
Active Member
I kinda cheated with the red body/white bead pattern in the photo. I have had success using it when blood worms are on the menu. When blood worms are really active maybe the white bead stands out in the crowd?
jamma
Active Member
Well, the headline didn't specify and the angling technique is essentially the same, but I'm on board now.Blood worms are a whole different life stage of the midge, this is a pupal stage thread, not a larval stage thread
Put me down for a Bronzie in that grouping and probably the Flashback Pheasant Tail for a little variety.
P.S. Although I would probably prefer that FPT in maroon which would put me back in bloodworm territory, god damn me!
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I don’t think I have 6 top bloodworm patterns. My wife has the fly tying table for the next two days, but on Saturday I’ll tackle the idea, unless you want to beat me to it. Gut bomb?
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Well, chironomids are the pupal stage, so the title kind of did specify! As for the same technique, I fish just about anything using the same technique, including baitfish patterns. So yeah...Well, the headline didn't specify and the angling technique is essentially the same, but I'm on board now.
Put me down for a Bronzie in that grouping and probably the Flashback Pheasant Tail for a little variety.
Creatch'r
Unhinged Member
I’ll play....
#14 gunmetal chromie silver rib
#12 red v rib bloodworm
#14 silver chromie red rib
#10 black bomber white thread rib
#12 brown/red butt, brown bead amber rib
#18 olive on olive
hard to choose but some of my favorites, if I had to get rid of the bloodworm I would replace it with a #12 dark olive, black rib, dark bead and gills or a #12 black w red butt white bead red rib. Both good bugs to send down before I know what’s happening.
#14 gunmetal chromie silver rib
#12 red v rib bloodworm
#14 silver chromie red rib
#10 black bomber white thread rib
#12 brown/red butt, brown bead amber rib
#18 olive on olive
hard to choose but some of my favorites, if I had to get rid of the bloodworm I would replace it with a #12 dark olive, black rib, dark bead and gills or a #12 black w red butt white bead red rib. Both good bugs to send down before I know what’s happening.
troutpocket
Active Member
The two lower patterns on the left were good last weekend (last day before the lockdown!). The chrome/burgundy rib late morning in full sun and pearl olive with black rib during the afternoon overcast. Both smaller than pictured #16.
jamma
Active Member
Did a little research on the word and found out that it describes an entire class of insects, both aquatic and non- , so technically, all stages can be called chironomid, it is the same insect after all.Well, chironomids are the pupal stage, so the title kind of did specify! As for the same technique, I fish just about anything using the same technique, including baitfish patterns. So yeah...
What I did not know was, that although mosquitoes and chironomids belong to the same genus Diptera, a mosquito is not considered a chironomid as that word applies only to non-biting insects.
You learn something every day.
True, midges are in the order Diptera, or “True Flies”, so I guess in a way those who fish midge patterns are “True Fly” fisherman. Caddisflies on the other hand are not in the order Diptera so fly fishing must not include those, right? Now come on, we all know better that the definition of fly fishing has changed and as such the definition of using chironomids in most fly fishing circles has also changed. Ask a person on a lake what they are using and they say chironomid, most will immediately assume that the person is using a representation of the pupal stage, in fact claiming you are fishing a mid/chironomid when in fact you are soaking a blood worm is really uncool, unless you are either highly ignorant, or a dick. I’ve been a dick before. The same could be said if you were fishing an emerger just under the surface and again claimed you were fishing a chironomid. So I’ll stick to my original Top 6 mids being the pupal stages. We fly fisherman like to break up the life cycles of aquatic insects.Did a little research on the word and found out that it describes an entire class of insects, both aquatic and non- , so technically, all stages can be called chironomid, it is the same insect after all.
What I did not know was, that although mosquitoes and chironomids belong to the same genus Diptera, a mosquito is not considered a chironomid as that word applies only to non-biting insects.
You learn something every day.
Here's a few chironomids I like. Also a few bloodworms. The chironomid in the middle I found in the mouth of a fish I caught up north. It's a bit bigger than what I usually use but I thought it was a good tie (hook is not great). It's dark brown instead of black which I prefer for my dark chironomids.
I like these 6 in red, wine or black. Hard to pick just 6 because it depends on the day and time of year. All tied on 2x long nymph hooks.
chromie, zucchini, rusty nail, red wire chromie, gunmetal red butt, & copper top.
Also you can do some fun stuff with white thread as flybill mentioned earlier.
chromie, zucchini, rusty nail, red wire chromie, gunmetal red butt, & copper top.
Also you can do some fun stuff with white thread as flybill mentioned earlier.
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Also, all of these patterns are tied with white thread and then they are colored and coated.
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