For people who are reading this blog from other states or countries, I never mean to scare you off but........it's cold here in Paradise Valley, MT. Believe or not, we are having snow again, if not cold rain...... Well, actually this may help river flows/levels later in the season as we don't have huge snow packs this year. This weekend is the opening of Yellowstone National Park fishing! However, I'd rather wait till it gets warmer as June rolls in.....
OK, here's my recent tie that I learned from my guide mentor, Montana's Master Angler himself Tom Travis (click for info). It's called Multi Purpose Midge for right reasons. Tying materials and steps are simple. I love the little twitch of using stripped peacock herl for abdomen.
It's already great & juicy appearance enough for most of midge situations. However, if situation (trout and/or hatch) gets picky, there is more to do with this fly. While you are fishing, if you clip the tail/shuck with scissors or nippers, you will have an adult midge instantly!
Then if you trim top & bottom of hackle fibers flat, leaving the tail, you will have a low-riding spent midge as you wish!!
I'm a great fan of multi-purpose & cross-dresser flies that imitate several stages/appearance of insects at once. As for dry-fly, it would be imitating: emerging, struggling, crippled, full-fledged adult, or sometimes even spent spinner. At least I look for or invent patterns that contain at least two of those stages. Soft-hackles can be: nymphs from subsurface to certain depth and drowned individuals (cripples, adults, or spinners) but also I fish them as dry-flies!!
This idea of Tom's gave me another approach for designing cross-dresser patterns = prepare at your tying bench then fix at streams as you need. Super practical.
Everyone should give a try! I will be tying and learning more for mayfly patterns for this kind.
Hi, I'm new to your blog...love it!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that you will share what sizes to tie the Multi purpose midge in? It looks like a killer pattern. I'm heading to YNP/Big Sky this October for the Fall Browns. Thanks for posting- I'll keep visiting to see what else you've got to share!
LL
Hi thanks for dropping by.
ReplyDeleteFor midge patterns around here, size 20 & 22 will do most of the time. Standard dry and emerger hooks (Dai-Riki 125, TMC 2488) are both fine. If you plan to fish fall-run trout in Madison within YNP, you may wanna keep my COYOTE in your box too!! I designed COYOTE specifically for that (then it works other situations too....).
I appreciate your feedback. Have been reading your older blog posts to get caught up. You've got some great flies, and wonderful pictures of the trout you've caught with them.
ReplyDeleteThe coyote is great, reminds me of Shaky Bealy somewhat. I also liked the bead head crystal 'dipity', as I've been tying a lot of $3 dips, then trying to vary the color for different water/situations. Have tied a couple dozen of the muliti purpose midges in size 18 and 20.... guess I'll have to do some smaller, too ;-)
Thanks very much!
LL
What materials are used to tie this multi-purpose midge? thanks! Looks killer!
ReplyDeleteZelon, peacock herl, griz hackle. How simple is that?
DeleteSuper easy to tie, look like a winner. Eager to give them a try in mid October.
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