midge
Zebra Midge
- Sizes
- #16
- Imitates
- midge pupae · midge larvae · Chironomids
- Origin
- South Platte River guides, early 2000s
The Zebra Midge is the simplest and most effective midge pattern ever designed. A thread body with wire rib and a small bead creates the segmented look of a midge pupa that trout feed on relentlessly in tailwaters. When fish are rising to invisible food, this is almost always the answer.
Recipe
Workbench
Variants
Swipe to see In box and Add
| Size | Bead | Body | In box | Add to box |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #16 | tungsten · Silver tungsten | Black | — | — |
At the vise
Slide a small bead onto the hook, wrap a thread body, rib with fine wire, and whip finish. That's it — simplicity is the point.
Tying video
Fishing now on
Rivers whose hatch chart names this pattern this month. Names and sizes only.
- Au Gres River East Branch#20-24
- Baldwin River#20-24
- Bear Creek (Manistee)#20-24
- Brule River (Michigan UP)#20-24
- Canada Creek#20-24
- Chattahoochee River#22-24
- Chena River (Alaska)#18-22
- Cooks Run#20-24
- Fence River#20-24
- Fox River East Branch#20-24
- Lee''s Ferry#20-24
- Paint River#20-24
- Rifle River#20-24
- San Juan River#22-26
- Taylor River#22-26
On the water
Fish the Zebra Midge as the dropper in a two-nymph rig, 18-24 inches below a heavier point fly. On tailwaters, fish it in the film suspended under a small dry fly. Trout eat midges year-round but especially in winter when nothing else is hatching.
History
The Zebra Midge originated on Colorado's South Platte River tailwaters in the early 2000s, though its exact originator is debated. Its genius lies in extreme simplicity — thread, wire, and a bead — making it easy to tie in bulk and devastating on midge-heavy waters like Cheesman Canyon and the San Juan River.