Mosquitoes

[Millertime]

I have been searching for a nice mosquito pattern and the one I am finding is basically grizzly hackle a black thread body and like a spaced out white thread wrap over top of the body making it look like a black and white candy cane.


Is there a good way to accomplish that white stripe?

I was thining. . . use black thread. . . cover the shank and after the fly is done take white thread and go back over?

Should I tie some white thread in like I am ribbing a HE?

Any thoughts or techniques?

 

[jayL]

I've never been convinced that fly actually imitates a mosquito.

I've also never been convinced that trout eat them.

If you're after warm water fish, it's killer, but I don't know that they are taking it for a blood sucker.

Keep in mind that mosquitoes are basically midges, so I'd look for a large midge or cranefly pattern for a more exact match.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

I'm with Jay on this one. Try using moose mane - 1 white, and 2 black, wound at the same time. I have a buddy that ties them that way, and they do look pretty neat....

 

[GreenWeenie]

Grizzly hackle for the tail, strip a medium sized grizzly hackle and secure the stem to the rear of the hook by the tip. Move the thread forward (gray thread) and then wind the body with the hackle stem. Tie off and then spin the collar with grizzly hackle Catskill style. Tie in sizes 12 -18.

This fly works very well on trout. Does the trout know it's a mosquito, doubt it, but a very effective fly.

 

[tomgamber]

Chironomidae...I think mosquito larvae do a good job of imitating these more than themselves from a fishes food perspective.

 

[jayL]

I'll add that I have caught trout on this fly. I'm not convinced that trout eat the naturals very often, is what I meant.

It's a good attractor. Hackle them a little more fully and use em on brookies if the snooty trout won't take em.

 

[tomgamber]

I agree they may occasionally eat them but I have targeted trout at 40ft depths with chironomids. They are very similar in appearance and I think its what they think they are eating.

 

[jayL]

Tom,

I totally agree. I should have clarified that I was only talking about the adults.

I've used a zebra midge for the same purposes.

 

[tomgamber]

Yes I was agreeing with you as well. Lets agree to quit before this ends up lie an episode of Chip and Dale.

 

[Millertime]

Okay. . .

So how would you tie your white strip on your zebra midge then?

I have had success with the mosquito before. . .
It was my first fish on a dry. it is glued in my memory forever. I must tie a few.

All drys seem simliar to me. . . depends on how picky the fish are. Change body color, hackle color, and size and 90% of the time you can get close enough. . .

 

[jayL]

With silver wire. Wouldn't use wire on a dry.

 

[tomgamber]

Millertime wrote:
Okay. . .

So how would you tie your white strip on your zebra midge then?

tie both back and white thread or floss in at bend. wind thread forward...wrap black floss forward to cover hook completely and tie off...wrap white floss forward (spaced) and tie off. Pretty easy. Just like this video but white thread or floss rather than the silver ribbing he uses.

http://www.theanglersnet.com/Fly-Tying-Videos/play_video.asp?section=6&VID=252

 

[MKern]

I use stripped peacock. It has that two tone brown. Works great for larva too.

 

[tomgamber]

I used that when I tied the chironomids...the color was perfect.

 

[troutslammer]

peacock herl , grizzly tail and hackle , put wings on it too (grizzly) not sure what they think it is but it is killer on the hot mid afternoons sometime , especially in clear water a size 18 works wonders

 

[flipnfly]

just tie a really small adams all i ever caught on a mosquito were chubs

 

[DGC]

I tie what I call a Fickle Mosquito. It mixes dry (medium dun) and wet hackle (grizzly hen saddle, not neck) in front of a slim muskrat body, hackle clipped top and bottom on a # 20 dry fly hook. It looks like a skeeter to me, even though I doubt trout take adult skeeters very often. You also might take a look at the Straddle leg midge by Chauncy Lively.

 

[Millertime]

troutslammer wrote:
peacock herl , grizzly tail and hackle , put wings on it too (grizzly) not sure what they think it is but it is killer on the hot mid afternoons sometime , especially in clear water a size 18 works wonders

Thought peacock might be a bit heavy I will try that out.

Conditions you name 100% correct.


The garbage water I fish around butler. . . most of these fish don't see too many aquatic bugs hatching like out east. We are talking DHALO water that rarely has a hold over. I don't think "most" people would be throwing this exact pattern and I am sure they at least see a few real ones float by. Its a nice pattern, a little different than what everyone else is tying on.

 

[jayL]

Yes, but will it outfish a globug? :lol:

 

[Fishidiot]

Miller,
Your original thought to use white thread will work just fine for a very small dry fly such as this. Simply build a body with black thread and then rib it with white thread. With some use and handling, the white thread will darken a bit but will still provide the color contrast you seek. The same method works for zebra midges although they're traditionally ribbed with wire. Either is fine.