Midges

[BlueRaiderFan]

I'm certain I've asked this before at some point, but can someone explain exactly what a midge is, how many types of midges there are and if it is related to may flies.

Thanks,

BRF

[EarlOfSoDak]

Midges is:
Small, black, olive, brown, rust, red, flies that you find everywhere there is water, especially cold, nutrient rich water (tailwaters, spring creeks). I believe a mosquito is a type of chironomid, or midge. Those little squirmy's you see in stagnant old tire water are mosquito larva!!

Midges come in 3 forms, or stages (mayflies only have 2):

1) Larva - there is little differentiation between head, thorax and abdomen - like a worm. A blood-worm is a good representation.

2) Pupa - Distinct head, thorax and abdomen - the zebra midge is a representation. We fish these way more than larva- larva hang out in the mud, or hidden elsewhere.

3) Adults- look like mosquitos, just w/out the blood sucking apparatus, and usually a bit smaller 'round here. We often fish emerger patterns like a brooks sprout, sipper midge for this 'un. A griffith's gnat can represent a clump of midges, maybe a single adult midge.

I carry lots of midge pupa in my fly boxes, mostly black and olive ones, because they're more common. Around here they're about 18-24, for the most part. There are exactly 97 billion kinds, colors, sizes of midges, but the aforementioned cover about 96 billion of 'em. Pump a fish tummy next time your out - there will be midges if it's a trout and it's not in a hatchery. I give you the Billy Mays guarantee that stomach pumps are effective in determining midge choice.

Hope this helps, Mr. Raider

[BlueRaiderFan]

Wow! Thanks! That does help I've been reading a bit on the entomology side,but they never spell it out for you like that. Thanks.

[psnapp]

"Midge Magic", a book by Don Holbrook and Ed Koch, has lots of midge patterns with pictures of the insect in the life-cycle stage that they represent. Probably available from LRO.

Phil

[ChemEAngler]

Check out this link

http://www.westfly.com/entomology/midges/midges.shtml

[BlueRaiderFan]

Thanks guys, this is good stuff!!!

[Wilson10]

Originally Posted by ChemEAngler

Check out this link

http://www.westfly.com/entomology/midges/midges.shtml

Sweeeet... Cool site

[roberts618]

Check out this website on midges --

http://www.micromidge.com/

It has some great info on how to fish midges. I met the owner at the Mason, MI fly tying expo last December.

[BlueRaiderFan]

Another good site! Thanks...I knew I could count on this board.