The Magic Midge Larva
By A.K. BEST

Yes, I do fish nymphs and midge larvae.But only when I have to. I’m not a very good nymph fisher to begin with, so I’m always looking for a little edge over my fishing companions (who are pretty good nymphers). I usually don’t catch many fish while nymphing, so I spend a lot of time with an aquarium net, catching those little critters that live in the moss and under rocks. I think I’ve made an important observation concerning midge larvae, especially in lakes and ponds.

Most larvae I find seem to be tan, with prominent dark-brown ribbing between the segments of the abdomen. They have short legs that are just a little darker than the tan of the body and their heads are about the same color as the dark-brown ribbing. Most important, they seem to exhibit a neutral buoyancy. So, I wondered, what to tie? Following is a midge larva recipe that has nearly doubled my nymphing success:

The Magic Midge Larva Hook: Any dryfly hook, size 16 through 22 Tail: None Body: Light tan or beige 6/0 tying thread; four layers Ribbing: Dark brown 6/0 tying thread (spin the bobbin to take the twist out of the thread, so the ribbing goes on flat) Legs: Two turns of short-fibered tan ostrich Head: Same as ribbing

I’ve watched trout come from a distance of three feet and more to eat this fly in some mountain lakes and ponds. It also produces well when fished near the shore in every stream in which I’ve tried it. In streams, fish it dead-drift as a dropper behind a nymph (a Pheasant Tail is a good choice), with the nymph one size larger than the Magic Midge Larva. Fish it alone (with a tiny split-shot to keep it under the surface) when you’re fishing lakes and ponds, with very short (one- to two-inch) pulses using a quick hand-twist retrieve, pausing briefly between pulses.

A great variation: Substitute two turns of mottled light brown hen hackle for the ostrich and tie this as a soft-hackle wet fly.
—A.K.