Midge Parachute Emerger

Sent in by Dave Abraham

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If there is one pattern a fly angler shouldn’t be without it is some kind of midge pattern. These tiny insects are abundant in our streams and are available to trout almost all year long. For fishing Midges below the surface there are many good patterns to use including Al’s Rat, Zebra midge and the Serendipity just to name a few. On the surface it’s hard to beat a Griffith’s Gnat which imitates a midge cluster. The pattern I use for midging trout is a parachute pattern tied on a Dai-Riki #125 emerger hook. I really like this hook for tiny flies. I tie my tricos and micro nymphs on it since it has a wider gape than a standard hook. The other plus with this hook is since there is not a lot of shank you can downsize you pattern a bit if need be.

Hook - Dai-Riki #125 size 20 and smaller

Tail - white Zlon

Body - black thread

Rib - Gold or silver wire

Post - White Zlon

Hackle - Grizzly

Thread - 8/0 Uni or smaller

Tying steps:

·         Step 1. Mash the barb and tie in one hook eye length behind the eye. Cut off a section of white Zlon about ½“ in  length and separate it into 2 even pieces. The Zlon will be your parachute post with enough material to tie 2 patterns. Next pull about 3 strands out which will be tied in for a trailing shuck.

·         Step 2. Take the 1 piece of Zlon and tie that in at the halfway point with cross wraps on top of the hook shank. With it tied in good and secure, hold the Zlon straight up and start making wraps around the base to post it up. Make about 4 wraps up the post and back down ending your thread behind the post.

·         Step3. Take the 3 strands of Zlon and tie them in wrapping backward and around the bend of the hook a little. Don’t get concerned with the tail length since it will be cut off later.

·         Step 4. Tie in the wire on top of the hook shank and wrap your thread forward touching turns to just behind the post. The thread wraps will form the abdomen of the fly.

·         Step 5. Rib the abdomen making about 4 spiral turns and tie it down. Helicopter the tag end of the wire for a clean break.

·         Step 6. Prepare the rooster hackle by stripping off some of the fibers from the stem. Tie in the hackle with the underside facing you. Holding the hackle straight up make 4-5 thread wraps upward and back down securing the stem to the post. I usually apply a very small amount of Zap-A-Gap to the wraps at this point.

·         Step 7. Wind your thread to the eye and back to the post forming the Thorax area ending that your bobbin is on the back side of the hook and in front of the post.

·         Step 8. Wrap your hackle around the post and continue wrapping downward. Notice by tying the hackle in with the dull or under side facing you the fibers should be facing upward slightly. Now for the tricky part, tying the hackle off. There are several ways to accomplish this but the one I find easiest for me to do is the following method. By holding the hackle tip backward after the last wrap bring your thread under the wraps to catch the stem. Carefully loosen the jaws and re-positioning the hook that the eye is pointing downward. This makes it easy to make a 4 turn whip finish.

·         Step 9. Cut the hackle and thread off. And trim the tail down to about the length of hook. Your fly is now complete.

·         Step 10. Gink the thorax area only and your leader and look for feeding fish. Enjoy!