Need to up my midge game - tips and hints please

[Letort]

I was on the Letort the other night (but this applies to almost any body of water) and an occasional rise was happening. Nothing apparent in the air for a hatch, so assuming they were after midges. Tied on a 26 Griffith gnat but no interest. Was really tough to get a good drift with the cress beds popping up through the water surface and grabbing line and leader.

I am probably the world’s worst midge fisherman and have caught far fewer trout on midges than any other fly. I am guessing that presentation trumps pattern, given that we are talking about 20-26 size flies. But maybe I am off base with the pattern right off the bat.

What are some rules of thumb to help out a with the midge game? Go to patterns?

 

[TimMurphy]

I was on the Letort the other night (but this applies to almost any body of water) and an occasional rise was happening. Nothing apparent in the air for a hatch, so assuming they were after midges. Tied on a 26 Griffith gnat but no interest. Was really tough to get a good drift with the cress beds popping up through the water surface and grabbing line and leader.

I am probably the world’s worst midge fisherman and have caught far fewer trout on midges than any other fly. I am guessing that presentation trumps pattern, given that we are talking about 20-26 size flies. But maybe I am off base with the pattern right off the bat.

What are some rules of thumb to help out a with the midge game? Go to patterns?

Dear Letort,

Fish more when the crick is higher and muddy!

Seriously though, I've tied and caught fish on midges down to size 28, but I haven't bothered with that for years. I did it because I could, but at my age it would take me a month to tie on a size 28 fly.

Hopefully you get a better more serious answer and please don't think I was mocking you or making fun of you.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[dryflyguy]

During the warmer months of the season, try a terrestrial in smaller sizes - 18 and 20
I’ve caught lots of midging fish on a #20 Crowe beetle
And if it gets a take, it’s well worth not having to play the midge game

 

[Mashbill]

Letort — I have this book - Midge Magic , that was written in 2001 by a guy from your area, with Ed Koch as co - author. I think Big Spring was his “laboratory” for his findings. It’s an insanely intensive study, with excellent photography. I think I bought it from Cold Spring Anglers … that shop that Herb & his wife Kathy ran from various locations in Carlisle. Mine is signed by both authors—- just noticed that again. If you can find it … I’d bet you’d enjoy adding it to your library.

Good luck

 

[troutbert]

Try terrestrials instead, such as deer hair ants, beetles, and small Letort crickets.

I think you'll catch more fish with terrestrials, and you can use heavier tippet than with midges.

 

[joebamboo]

Donnie was the man when it came to midges.

 

[Bamboozle]

Presentation trumps everything on the Letort...

When I come across a fussy riser there, the first thing I do is get down and watch...

...and watch some more until I see ANOTHER rise from the same fish.

If there is none, you most likely blew it...

If you get a refusal but the fish keeps rising, I make micro adjustments to my presentation, sometimes over other spots in the creek for practice until I get it right before casting to the fish.

I also catch more fish on midges fished a few inches below the surface than ON the surface and that includes at the Letort.

Another thing I learned, when the cress is popping out of the water, many times it is better cast OVER the cress into the water lanes. Don't try and cast in between the cress because you will most likely miss & put down the fish.

BTW - An extruded (non-knotted) leader is a HUGE help when fishing over the cress.

Also, you said "the other night." If you were fishing the Letort in the late afternoon/early evening seeing rises but not seeing flies, make sure you WEREN'T missing Little Black Caddis that are really hard to see fluttering an inch or so above the water.

I've also caught many fish on the Letort when nothing seemed to be hatching on a size 20 - 22 BWO, either a thorax tie or a parachute.

Finally, I always fish midges on 7X or 8X but never at the Letort because I am still spooked over a fish I broke off when I was too lazy to cut back to 7X tippet. To me 6X is a hindrance when fishing the REALLY small stuff (24 - 32) so a nice long supple 6X tippet that lands with slack is HUGE at the Letort.

 

[goose54cdd]

View attachment 1641236895View attachment 1641236896Letort — I have this book - Midge Magic , that was written in 2001 by a guy from your area, with Ed Koch as co - author. I think Big Spring was his “laboratory” for his findings. It’s an insanely intensive study, with excellent photography. I think I bought it from Cold Spring Anglers … that shop that Herb & his wife Kathy ran from various locations in Carlisle. Mine is signed by both authors—- just noticed that again. If you can find it … I’d bet you’d enjoy adding it to your library.

Good luck

That is an excellent book and I still enjoy fishing midges down to size 28 once in awhile. I noticed a warm, sunny day in the winter will sometimes spark a midge hatch the trout enjoy. I've had some success fishing some of those pupa patterns underneath, too.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Something to pass on that I learned on Monocacy many moons ago ...Try fishing a midge pupa just under the film. Drop it 6"-12" near where the trout is rising and give it a quick twitch or two over the trout's head. Usually results in violent strikes and you will break some fish off if you're using 6x on down. The other trick is to use the same midge pupa and attach a bb size ball of strike putty at the tippet knot. This is a weight-free setup so fish the midge pupa in or just under the surface film. Follow the indicator for any type of movement and set the hook. I agree with the other suggestions regarding use of terrestrials- especially on the Letort where you are fishing open portals in between weed channels/weed growth. You won't have to worry about a good drift if you plop a terrestrial down on the trout's window.

 

[Sylvaneous]

Here's my general disclaimer for everything: "Globally, it isn't possible to say much beneficial unless someone were there and they were experts that could have othersise caught that fish doing something different than you were doing "
With that being said, I can give you my preferred pattern for midging fish.

My go-to pattern is an adaptation of Al's Rat that I call the Rat Fink, in honor of the originator. I make the fly just like Al did: 3/0 olive brown monocord, wrapped/tied so that the body has a slight taper and a fantasically small amount of muskrat fuzz as dubbing at the head. But I do this: Use a curved caddis/scud hook, usually 22, sometimes 24, I spin the thread to cord-up it for the last wrap to give the body some stronger segmentation. That's just my taste, as is much in fly tying. I tie a CDC post out the top of the nose and wrap it 1X with the thread to make it like a post. This does 2 things: 1) holds the pupa body right in the meniscus 2) mimics what an emerging midge looks like as it squeezes out of the pupal shuck.
It works.

I don't get to use it anymore as I don't live in country with smooth limestone creeks with wild trout. And for nymph presentation, tie the same body with a tiny (I think 2mm is the smallest) silver bead. Also you can wrap the body with irridescent flash. I've never used anything else and these flies have worked as well as anything for me and for others who just want something simple to go to and to have confidence in. (....OR 'in which to have confidence." I am a fly fisherman and should use the King's English)
Syl

 

[Bamboozle]

Something to pass on that I learned on Monocacy many moons ago ...Try fishing a midge pupa just under the film. Drop it 6"-12" near where the trout is rising and give it a quick twitch or two over the trout's head. Usually results in violent strikes and you will break some fish off if you're using 6x on down. The other trick is to use the same midge pupa and attach a bb size ball of strike putty at the tippet knot. This is a weight-free setup so fish the midge pupa in or just under the surface film. Follow the indicator for any type of movement and set the hook. I agree with the other suggestions regarding use of terrestrials- especially on the Letort where you are fishing open portals in between weed channels/weed growth. You won't have to worry about a good drift if you plop a terrestrial down on the trout's window.

This has been my MO for decades on the Monocasy & other creeks. I carry three different colors of strike putty just for the purpose.

Another thick I employ is if you roll the strike putty so it is elongated instead of in a ball, you have more contact surface, especially when the cool stream water "hardens" the putty. It will sticks much better so you can put the putty anywhere along your tippet and not necessarily on a knot.

I can't tell you how many fish I've caught with the putty blob less than 12" above the midge.

FWIW - My most successful pattern using this technique is a wire bodied midge pupa I tie on a size 22 - 26 straight or curved shank hook. The body is extra small size Ultra Wire, a collar of olive Ice Dub and a silver or gold lined glass "seed" bead. The wire body & bead gets the fly down FAST even when the strike putty is a few inches above.

I tie them in red, copper, yellow, chartreuse, and a green & yellow combo. The most productive colors have been red, followed by copper, yellow or chartreuse. The two color version which looks the "buggiest" is the worst producer but maybe that's because red & copper work so well...

They work for me everywhere I've tried them including the Letort, especially when fish are on midges but even when they're not. They are also lethal on sunfish, even on spinning tackle under a float.