Patterns | Tactics | Tackle | Life Cycle

Tackle
Small flies, clear water, and wary trout dictate the use of extremely fine tippets. Heavy tippet is not only more visible to the fish, but it is also stiffer and affects the action of the fly in the water. Most successful anglers use 6X tippet or smaller. Dropping to 7X will almost always increase your hookups, and decrease the number of fish you land. I shy away from 7X because I hate to leave hooks in fish and like to land them as quickly as possible. However, if the water is cold and you know how to pressure a fish without breaking your tippet, then there's nothing wrong with dropping to 7X in some instances.

Many of the best tailwater anglers use fluorocarbon tippet almost exclusively for their subsurface fishing, and swear they catch more fish with it than with monofilament. It is a scientific fact that fluorocarbon has a light refraction index close to that of water, which is supposed to make your leader "invisible" to fish. However, when I put fluorocarbon in water, I can still see it, and since it's stiffer than mono, I'm convinced it's more likely to impede the natural action of my fly. Fluorocarbon sinks and should not be used for dry-fly or surface fishing.

In a two-fly rig, your flies should be connected eye to eye with a piece of 12- to 18-inch tippet. Most midge pupae ride the currents in a horizontal position, so your top hook should stick out at a 90-degree angle when the leader is pulled taut. I use improved clinch knots on the top fly because of the small knot size. There are stronger knots, but you usually have to pass the tippet through the eye of the hook twice, and that's not practical on a #24 midge pupa.

Try attaching the bottom fly with a non-slip loop knot. [See "Knots 101," by Lefty Kreh, in our May 2001 issue. The Editor.] The loop knot allows your bottom fly to move more freely in the current regardless of tippet diameter or stiffness.

Your rod choice will vary with the river you are fishing, the wind conditions, and water levels. On a big river like the Colorado at Lees Ferry or the Green River in spring, you'll want a 9-foot, 5-weight to reach distant water and control your line properly. On smaller rivers like the San Juan, Frying Pan, and South Platte, a shorter, 3- or 4-weight is adequate most of the time.

A good reel with a smooth, dependable drag is an asset. I've seen anglers who had to pay out line from their reel manually, because every time a fish hit the reel, it would break off their 7X tippet.

Most of my midge-fishing knowledge I learned from the people I consider to be the real experts on some of the most highly pressured waters in the Rocky Mountain West, but this information is effective everywhere there are midges and trout. The life cycle and presentation tactics I've covered here are universally applicable, but midges come in different sizes and different colors on different waters, so you may have to modify the patterns I've mentioned to match the local hatch. Pay attention to the insects in the water, both where they are and what they look like, and you will be rewarded. Nothing is more satisfying than using your deductive powers to "figure out" a hatch. When you reach that point, you've become more than just a confused bystander hoping to get lucky. You become an understanding participant in a complex ecosystem, and I guarantee you'll have more fun.

Ross Purnell is web content director for Fly Fisherman On-Line.

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