Winter midge surface action!

Matt B said:
“Killer fly” on about 1 outing in 25 maybe! Especially there!
It does work, but I have found it pretty rare for fish to want it very consistently over the course of a day. But boy oh boy when that happens it can be a day to remember.

I have spent a lot of time chasing scattered rise rings where maybe I catch a fish or two as the result. I think it’s less the pattern with that than that it’s just a tough game.
Click to expand...
I guess I should have said something like "it's still a killer fly on Eastern WA lakes SOMETIMES". Two years ago one late spring morning, Lasha's Raccoon brought a solid 20" fish to the surface on a lake where I'd never got a fish over 18". A great fly at times, eh!
 
Size 20 BWO has been my go, a 8'6 4 wt Redington Classic Trout rod w/Cortland Trout Boss DT matches up well. Yesterday's afternoon session was lotta fun, 47 degrees got both the bugs and fish active
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20241220_173052915~2.jpg
    IMG_20241220_173052915~2.jpg
    345.8 KB · Views: 42
Last edited:
Well…..for most likely the last fishing for 2024…1/1 sight casting a midge emerger. Not very many chances of rising fish close enough to cast at, the W blew in weird swirling directions and it had to rain at times. But the Crown and Coors were good so it wast a skunking! My buddy Tom got one too so we were happy campers! Merry Christmas to all!
 
Last edited:
Ceviche said:
Not the best tie, but I hope you get the idea. The best dubbing is from light gray cat fur without guard hair. This example doesn’t have it. At the eye of the hook, the shuck edge was originally made from a sharp tip of dry fly grizzly hackle.
View attachment 136447
Click to expand...
Many years ago, there was a stillwater Emerger dry fly swap. I don’t think I was even in the swap, but I came to be in possession of some entries, including a couple of these, and can confirm they do work. Requires a light tippet and a soft cast. Can also work along with a Raccoon tied with a white foam strip which also allows one to see the dang things when they are 50+ feet away in dying light.
 
Matt B said:
Many years ago, there was a stillwater Emerger dry fly swap. I don’t think I was even in the swap, but I came to be in possession of some entries, including a couple of these, and can confirm they do work. Requires a light tippet and a soft cast. Can also work along with a Raccoon tied with a white foam strip which also allows one to see the dang things when they are 50+ feet away in dying light.
Click to expand...
find Trout hunter 6.5X nylon, used with a soft rod tip, to be the best combo between invisibility and just enough strength to offer a reasonable chance of getting a gulper to the net.
 
Someone should do a 2025 challenge. Catch a western WA stillwater trout on a floating / dry pattern every month of the year.
SF
 
I’d be game for that challenge Stonedfish…..anytime I see trout rising ….people that know me know that I have to try to get one on top! We say one fish on the top is worth two under the surface! Gets that shot of Crown quicker too….
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top