MERMAIDS AT THE VISE – The Zebra Midge

What did the mermaids tie up tonight?  Zebra Midges. A bunch of ’em!

The mood setter? Twist Of Cain by Danzig

Scour the internet in search of the top, year-round trout patterns. Go on, do it. If the zebra midge ain’t listed, consider that list nothing more than hogwash. Consider the creator of said list inept in any and all fly fishing respects. That list is pure propaganda designed specifically by trout to limit the amount of fish you catch – created by the man to keep you down. Don’t fall for it. Don’t let the man keep you down.

Still not sure? Here is a list from Tom Rosenbauer over at Orvis. Here’s another list that Spencer Durrant put together for the The Wade, which is Post Fly Box‘s blog. And, why not? Here’s one more from the good folks at Gink and Gasoline. What do they all have in common? Zebra midgets! All arrogant midget jokes aside, lots of lists don’t include the zebra midge. That’s perfectly fine. Their lost…

Like most popular flies, how-to videos are all over the place, but this one gives a good amount of detail. Thanks for sharing, Orvis. 

Here’s my low quality take on it…

If your dubbing skills suck as much as mine, olive or green thread with chartreuse UTC ultra wire is a cheap and easy excuse for a Spring caddis pupa imitator. Play around with other colors. Some like black and red variations (see two images below) for their simplicity and similarity to the black jack prince nymph. Olive with brass ribbing works well where I fish, but that’s where I fish. Your water might be different.

Fly tying doesn’t get much easier than the zebra midge. It’s a great place to start, but even if you’re seasoned, don’t leave home without a few….dozen…in various sizes and colors.

Ingredients: