365 Hatch 24/7... Hints & Tips
What Is Happening?
Naturally, winter time isn’t best known for hatches of fly. However small Buzzers, or Midges will continue to emerge even on the coldest of days. Whilst we can expect to see them every single month, chances are they’ll be most active during November before the cold sets in proper.
Of course the Midges now are usually small and dark in colour, often dark brown, or jet black. Our imitations then are best tied on size 18, or 20 hooks to copy these Buzzer Pupae that Trout are so fond of.
On the face of it, this pattern principally consists of tying thread though dressed on a curved hook and embellished with a few other materials, it screams “midge pupa”.
Hook: Curved Barbless #18-20
Body & Thorax: Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread 8/0 Black
Rib: Semperfli Wire 0.1mm Bright Silver
Wing Buds: Semperfli Fluoro Brite Orange #7
Thorax Cover: Semperfli 1/69" Holographic Tinsel Black Sparkle
Coating: Loon Outdoorss UV Clear Fly Fishish Resin Thin
A Bright Silver Wire rib provides that all-important segmented effect, as well as being suggestive of a partially gas filled pupal shuck.
Four strands of Fluoro Brite Orange #7 at the thorax are indicative of the developing wing buds, which on the natural posses a blush of orange.
A Black Sparkle Holographic Tinsel thorax cover adds the finishing touches.
All that’s left is a coating of Loon Outdoors UV Clear Fly Finish Resin Thin.
Semperflash Holographic Black Sparkle 1/69" is available on a spool or as a hank.
Fishing Tips
Often when Trout are picking off tiny Midge near the surface they make little, or no disturbance. The main reason being is that Midge Pupa move extremely slowly and with no real sense of direction. So Trout needn’t dash about to intercept them and instead, move about slowly, which creates little, if any commotion at the surface.
In this video you can see the natural movement of the Bloodworm and Buzzers. Understanding of Buzzers and Bloodworm movement is important to improve your casting and retreival to be more life-like, and gain more bites.
It’s important we work our flies in the same vane and the best way of doing this is to cleverly position ourselves in relation to the wind. Although the perfect scenario is casting into a breeze, so our flies drift back more naturally on surface currents, this can be taxing during winter due to icy winds.
Far more comfortable is a cross-wind that favours our casting arm (ie: a wind coming from the lefthand side for a right handed caster.)
Using a floating line like the Cortland 444 SL weight-forward, the idea is to cast perpendicular to any breeze.
Due to wave action, a ‘bow’ now sets up in your line to gently sweep your flies round on a seductive curve. It’s important now to merely keep in touch with your flies by inching them back.
As our imitations are tiny, two to three flies that are positioned 3ft apart on a leader increase your chances.
