FLYMPH FORUM

Hi Andrew,
Somewhere I posted a pattern that might work for you in sizes 20 & 22 - Ricketts Gnat.

flyfishwithme wrote:Hi Andrew,
Somewhere I posted a pattern that might work for you in sizes 20 & 22 - Ricketts Gnat.

I forgot that! I tied it up as well, didn't I? Posted a pic....

From past experience, i suspect the key is size here.... I once had a very similar do with some very selective feeders, and eventually got them taking an F Fly, tied on an ultra-midge #28! I seem to rememer putting it over them five times and taking three fish - which was satisfying, given the previous frustrations, but I stopped fishing it because they were only small fish and I found the #28 too fiddly to remove, required more handling than i was happy with for C & R.

I know someone else who swore they were after micr0 sedge, and tied up a tiny fly of a similar fly with a dark, finely dubbed body and a tiny bead head, which too seemed to do the trick. But my suspicion is the tiny size that is doing the business.

Sweet fly Andrew. You may want to try a full orange body. I have a lot of luck with orange flies when fishing for midges. Of course if the midges are yellow or something odd like that it may not work

I also have a lot of luck with the Syl's midge for midges, this is probably the most productive pattern I use during the winter months when midges are prime where I live. I have tied these down to size 24. But don't be afraid to throw a size 18 at those fish.

http://www.flymphforum.com/phpBB3/viewt ... %27s+midge

Try using orange dyed peacock with orange thread for the head.

RnF wrote:Sweet fly Andrew. You may want to try a full orange body. I have a lot of luck with orange flies when fishing for midges. Of course if the midges are yellow or something odd like that it may not work

Oh we do midges in all colours here, on this stream - and sizes - something of a speciality!

Well, had another go at them today (before i read your post Scott) and they politely but firmly refused my offer of a Rickett's Gnat, tied on a #22, which I thought was rather unsporting of them. They just don't know a good story when they see one, do they...?

However, i did manage to take one from this spot with an Iron Blue nymph / emerger, on a #16, but instead of a jackdaw hackle I tied on a few barbs of mid dun cock as a wing. Iron Blues on the water? Not at all!

But, it did have that crimson silk - so a hint of the red Old hat once mentioned they took on during a hatch in my midge thread? Dunno.

But, I am far from convinced it is 'problem solved', as I suspect they were not feeding as selectively today as they have been. For instance, unusually for my fishing, I can see these little fish, and they were at the bottom of about two and a half foot depth of river, and i had them chasing a little gold head nymph at one point, sunk down to them. They didn't actually take it but it was fascinating to watch. I am sure a better fisher could have manipulated the fly to get them to take it once they had shown that interest, but there you go!

In other news, the march brown / goose and orange i nicked - erm 'adapted' - off flyfishwithme is still doing extremely well!

Will try orange, Scott, thanks.

Andrew