Fly Fisherman Throwback: Ties for Midges

This once-modern approach to tying and fishing midges gives classic insights on materials, tools–and a Whitlock pattern for each life stage.

November 03, 2025 By Dave Whitlock

Editor's note: Flyfisherman.com will periodically be posting articles written and published before the Internet, from the Fly Fisherman magazine print archives. The wit and wisdom from legendary fly-fishing writers like Ernest Schwiebert, Gary LaFontaine, Lefty Kreh, Robert Traver, Dave Whitlock, Al Caucci & Bob Nastasi, Vince Marinaro, Doug Swisher & Carl Richards, Nick Lyons, and many more deserve a second life. These articles are reprinted here exactly as published in their day and may contain information, philosophies, or language that reveals a different time and age. This should be used for historical purposes only.

This article originally appeared in the Late Season 1976 issue of Fly Fisherman magazine. Click here for a PDF of the print version of "Ties for Midges."

Midge imitations have traditionally been reduced versions of quill-bodied standard-hackled dry flies. Even these were often hard to come by commercially until about 10 years ago. Pupa and larva patterns have almost been non-existent except for those tied by a few entomologywise anglers.

After I learned about the importance of pupa fishing, my next major enlightenment was that fur-bodied or deerhair-bodied pupae are much more effective than the hard quill bodied types. In the Fly-Tyer's Almanac (Crown), I devote a section to tying dubbed bodies for this type of midge, which I call the Four-phase Poly midge. I suggest you review this section for a very simple and effective midge-tying technique.

Midge hooks are extremely important and once were quite hard to come by. Their size, design and use absolutely dictate that they be of high quality. Sizes 18-28 are the most useful in standard-length turned-up-eye models such as Mustad's 94842 or a straight-eye model such as the ringed-eye midge hooks available from Sam Melner's Fly Fisherman's Bookcase and Tackle Service.

Another excellent approach to midge hooks is to use the spider/variant extra-short-shank finewire models such as Mustad's 9523. By tying a reduced midge pattern on the shank's bend you can use a larger hook size for small midges when you are consistently coping with larger fish.

Tying midge flies is not really difficult if you approach the task using some special aids. Use a vise with jaws that taper to a rather fine point. This will give you much more working room around the tiny hook. There are some good midge vises on the market if you find that your present vise jaws are too coarse.

By all means use a very bright tying light and some magnification aid, no matter how good your vision may be. Dexterity is greatly enhanced by increased sight capability. I have 20/20 vision, yet I never tie #18's and smaller without a Magnasighter or a Luxo Magnifying Lamp. It's just foolish to strain one's eyes on such small work when the task is so much easier with good lighting and magnification aids. Save your eyesight for bending those midges on a 7x tippet at dusk! Your flies will be a lot better, too.

Also, try to use miniature tying tools more. These greatly offset the problem of large, roughened fingers. Use a very light bobbin loaded with 7/0 or smaller thread and be stingy as hell with the thread wraps. Use a minimum of head cement and be sure it is of thin consistency or you will mess up the delicate material fibers.

I greatly prefer beaver belly for dubbing the smallest flies. Use it straight for sizes 24-28 for the best results. Even the finest synthetics are not trouble-free when it comes to dubbing delicate midge bodies. Try to select feathers that have extremely delicate spines and herl. There is a great difference between tying with materials and tools gauged to micro tying and just trying to tie midges with any old thing you might have.

The midge pupa has a thin open C shaped abdomen and an enlarged, humped thorax. Wings and legs are encased and folded on the sides and beneath the thorax. Fuzzy structures on the posterior end of the abdomen and anterior end of the head and thorax are gills.

Usually the pupal thorax is a bit darker than the abdomen, but often the same color. While I am not sure of the importance of color, certainly trout can be impossibly selective as to fly size, and perhaps color, too. I always try to match all shapes, sizes and colors as closely as I can.

HOOK: Mustad 94842,#16-28.
WEIGHT: 4-6 turns of 1/2-amp lead fuse wire.
THREAD: Danville's prewaxed Fly master, 7/0, match body color.
TAIL: One or two ostrich herl tips, very sparse and short (¼-hook-shank-length).
ABDOMEN: 50/50 blend of beaver belly and either Flyrite or Poly II (see previous larva pattern for colors).
THORAX: Same dubbing blend but a bit darker color, plus one or two turns of natural gray ostrich herl.
HEAD: Same color as thorax.

Whitlock's Midge Pupa (emerging)

A pencil illustration of a midge pupa fishing fly. — Whitlock's Midge Pupa (emerging). (Dave Whitlock illustration)

HOOK: Mustad 94842, #16-28.
WEIGHT: None.
RIB: Very fine gold wire or tying thread.
THREAD: Danville's prewaxed Flymaster, 7/0, match body color.
TAIL: Tied very short (¼-shanklength) of gray ostrich herl tip.
ABDOMEN: Deerhair laid along the shank and ribbed.
THORAX: Deerhair as above and overwrapped with 2-3 turns of ostrich or peacock herl.
HEAD: Same color as body.
DEERHAIR COLORS: Black, natural dun-brown green, brown, olive or red.