On spring creeks, tailwater rivers, and other slow-paced low-gradient streams, midges can dominate dry-fly fishing from late winter through spring. Some excellent experiences of casting to rising fish can be had around the West then.

Most spring midges are gray to black in color. Some may show a tinge of olive. Trout can eat the larvae but tend to eat more ascending and hatching pupae and adults when they are available. On swifter mountain streams midges can be of less importance, sharing the trout's attention with the little winter stoneflies.

Small & Simple

Although beginning anglers often look at midge fishing initially as some terrible thing to pursue, with small flies and picky fish, it often turns out that midge fishing is the simplest thing possible. There are often no other hatches to confuse matters. Fly pattern choices are few and easy.

A few midge adult and pupa patterns and you're set. If your eyesight is bad, make sure you have some magnifying glasses to help you tie on flies. You can also use a small strike indicator, even when fishing the dry fly. I usually use a more visible dry fly for a strike indicator, something like a #1418 Parachute Adams. Some midging trout take this as well.

If your viewing conditions are good (your fly contrasts well with and is visible against its background), using a #1820 Griffith's Gnat with a #1822 midge pupa as a dropper is an excellent start. I like to fish the dropper 1012 inches below the dry fly. In this way, both flies are within range of the fish. The dropper leader (57X) is tied to the bend of the dry-fly's hook.

Even if the trout appear to be rising, some may be targeting ascending pupae just beneath the surface. This can produce a swirl on the surface that looks just like a rise. In this case, the pupa pattern will most likely be taken. If it turns out the fish are taking the dry fly most of the time, I cut off the dropper and fish the dry fly alone. This eliminates a few tangles, as dropper rigs occasionally create. Often, however, the fish will take either the dry or dropper. That makes the two-fly rig more productive.