Illawarra Flyfishers Club

Mini Midge Emerger

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Photos and Text by Steve Chatterton

The family Chironomidae are part of the "True Fly" or Diptera order and included Non-Biting Midges such as those that sometimes swarm around you like small mosquitos but don't bite. The general form of the pupa has 9 segments a thin body and is typically up to 10mm in length. When midges are emerging they emerge in large numbers and fish often feed on them at the exclusion of all other offerings. The best technique is to cover rising fish. In this type of fishing casting speed and accuracy are as essential as an appropriate fly. The recipe below is for an olive mini midge emerger but other appropriate colours are cream with copper coloured ribbing and natural badger hackle and charcoal with silver ribbing and grey badger hackle. 

Tying Instructions

	1a) Starting at the eye, wind the thread to the bend of the hook. b) Tie in the tail of 4 to 6 hackle fibres about the same length as 2/3 the length of the hook shank. c) Tie in the ribbing material. d) Cut a wedge shaped piece of closed cell foam. Make it a little longer than you need, this will make it easier to handle. Lash it along the top of the hook to the ¾ point.
	2a) Whilst holding both the hackle post and hackle out of the way wrap the tinsel along the hook shank to the hackle post forming 4 or 5 segments.  b) Tie off the tinsel and trim the loose end.
	3a) Tie in the hackle directly in front of the post. b) Hold the hackle post rigid whilst you wind it parachute style 2 or 3 times around the post. Tie off and trim. c) Whilst holding the parachute hackle out of the way wind the thread along the balance of the hook shank in front of the post, build up a head of thread, whip finish and varnish.