Midge pupa, grubs & snails

This fly is designed to be fished on the drop and then on the rise. It was originally designed to imitate the action of lake Jindabyne olive midges as they hatched but it has proven useful in other fisheries. Materials Hook Body Thread Wing casing legs Thorax 10 to 14 dry fly hook Olive cotton…

When browns and rainbows are feeding on hatching midges at the exclusion of all else it pays to have a few buzzers in your kit. This pattern has proven itself to be readily accepted in many countries. Materials   Hook Thread Under-butt Body & thorax Rib Cheeks Hanak 300BL #10 to #12 Black…

In entomological terms a 'Bibio' is a March fly or St. Mark's fly both of which are true flies of the order Diptera. True Bibio larvae grow up in grassy areas and are herbivores and scavengers feeding on dead vegetation or living plant roots. They do not spend any part of their life cycle in the…

The name of this fly is Welsh and literally means "little devil". Regarded by many as one of the best flies ever created this fly is a great tie on as trout take it for everything from midge pupa right through to nymphs and stick caddis. I normally fish smaller sizes as a midge pupa and from time…

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water. Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trout's diet. Caddis flies are of the order…

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water. Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trout's diet. Caddis flies are of the order…

These little midges are easy to tie and appeal in a a whole range of situations. I like to fish them on a dry line with a longer leader either in a team of flies either static fishing or retrieving or as a single fly on a long leader to cover rising fish. They also work well as a river fly fished…

Published: Mar 14, 2011 Midges are part of the Chironomidae family of true flies. They are very small as the name implies and their cycle is similar to the mayfly or the Caddisfly. When fish are taking midges the midges are generally available in large numbers. The Lava is between 6 & 12 mm in…

When Chironomids are around they tend to be around in large numbers and trout become quickly switched on and gorge on them. There are number of techniques to target chironomid feeders and one of my favourite is to fish three chironomid imitations with the heaviest on the point with a long leader on…

Many anglers think that scud are shrimp but in fact they are not. Whilst they are Crustaceans they are of the Amphipoda order and are distinguished from shrimp both in habit and design. They spend their life inhabiting the detritus matter in both flowing and still water and take on the colour of…

Snails are a food source for trout throughout the year. Having said that they are often overlooked by fly fishers. In colours imitating the naturals in the area to be fished they can be slowly twitched along the bottom or the weed beds with great results. They are also a good ambush fly for trout…

You can tell when trout are feeding on emerging caddis because you often see them porpoising out of the water in pursuit of the hatching insect. This sparkle caddis pupa is a good representation of that stage just before the insect sheds its shuck. The concept of the air bag is accredited to Gary…

There are a number of pupa that are very small yet still very important protein sources on the trouts menu. These include the pupa of midges i.e. Chironomids and of course pupa of what is often called 'anglers cure' or 'smut flies' but really are the emerging nymph of the Caenis Mayflies.  In any…

This is a great dropper fly in lakes where there are populations of midge and my good mate Peter Walsh, who first came up with particular tie, fishes it with plenty of confidence and results. It's a lot like my Bibio variant except that the dominant colours are black and orange as apposed to back…

When Chironomids are around they tend to be around in large numbers and trout become quickly switched on and gorge on them. There are number of techniques to target chironomid feeders and one of my favourite is to fish three chironomid imitations with the heaviest on the point with a long leader on…

This fly hangs from the surface with the bend of the hook down much in the same way as the natural hangs just as it is breaking the water surface – anyway that's my story and I'm sticking to it. In any case it is a suggestive fly that  has taken many fish during evening midge hatches. Try it in…

Snails are a food source for trout throughout the year. Having said that they are often overlooked by fly fishers. In colours imitating the naturals in the area to be fished they can be slowly twitched along the bottom or around the weed beds with great results. They are also a good ambush fly for…

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water.  Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trout's diet. Caddis flies are of the order…

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water.  Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trouts diet. Most caddis grubs make a retreat of…

During spring and early summer and for up to four months from then Willow trees often play host to a parasitic insect that lays its eggs amongst the foliage. The eggs hatch after only a short gestation period and the grubs feed on the leaves of the tree. These "Willow grubs" as they have become…

When Chironomids move from the detritus matter in which they hatch and live for a substantial part of their pupal life they are often blood red and consequently are known as blood worms. As they move toward emergence the blood red colour gives way to brown, olive and even almost black coloration….

Chironomids are also sometimes known  Buzzers and Midges at various parts of their life cycle. They are part of the Chironomidae family of the order Diptera – True Flies. They are very small as the name implies and have a similar life cycle to Mayflies and Caddis flies. When fish are taking…

This is an old pattern and whilst it can be dressed in many different ways I prefer it dressed as described below which is similar to the original form with the exception of the tail which I prefer to be much finer than the original. I guess that makes it like a small Woolly Bugger. This fly works…