Check out this midge pattern

[Jeremy Hunt]

I thought you would like to check this pattern out.

[Guest flyfishBDS]

Nice looking very reminiscent of the UK buzzers, (lake chironimids) I've been meaning to downsize a few of the Sugerglue series of Buzzers, they have become very popular among lake fly fishers back home in Oz. The one with the orange flashes was very big in UK comps a few years back _ well that style

So how do they fish

Steve

[Jeremy Hunt]

That's what they are. I have only caught a few trout on these. I don't think trout like really overdone patterns... if you know what I mean. I catch more trout on zebra midges vs. anything else you can throw at them when it comes to midge patterns. I really thought the black one would do well but it doesn't seem to or I'm doing something wrong. I tied a green one with the orange dot on the side and did really well back in the day, but that fly has slipped my mine and I forgot about it. I thnk I will tie a few up.

[Guest flyfishBDS]

Maybe its because they are 16s and bigger LOl Those lake guys get it easy size 14 midges lol

Yeh a zebra is pretty hard to beat, but I do likethe BH WD40s when it gets hard or a Rainbow Warrior

Cheers

Steve

[Davy Wotton]

Correct, these are UK style midge, we call them buzzers over there by the way.

They have been around for a very long time. Chironomids are a very important food base for trout in still waters.

As a rule they are also way larger than you typically find on river systems, anything from a size 14 hook to as much as a size 8 round bend.

It was a friend of mine who came up with the superglue buzzer concept, and that was mainly due to allow for the fly to sink at a fast rate. You cannot add lead without taking away the thin profile of the pupa.

Competition fly fishing is a big deal also in the UK, and you are not allowed to use lead or bead head flies.

So far as how effective such flies here are concerned, very much so.

I use them all the time.

You also have to adapt to the fishing conditions at the time. A low water scenario at the dam, would as a rule determine using very small pupa and emergers, high water flows are a different matter.

So far as zebra midges, well like many other flies they are at this time the favoured fly. I know the dam zone at Taney is way different to BSD at my end.

Fish are not stocked at BSD,and there is a higer percentage of larger fish here.

If you want to catch the better fish at BSD you will need more than a zebra to do that on a consistant basis.

The naturals vary in both color and size to start with, not only that the fish may have a choice between taking rising/emerger/adult midge, you have to be able to cover all of those, and one fly is not going to do that.

Fish wise up to the same old fly, l Can guarantee you that one, particularly the better fish, stockers are a different deal, until they also wise up.

If you check back on John Wilsons site l did post some images of the type of pupa that l use here below BSD, and for the rest of the river.

One very good tip l will give you is this.

Fish long leader/tippet configurations, at least 12ft if not more at times, to 6 or 7x, which is needed at times to fool fish, they can see any filament you use, be it FC/MONO/COPOLYMER.

The choice of filament used is also very important.

Davy.