Fly of the Month

Feburary 2000

by Rich Johnson

Midge Larva/Pupa

Past AFF President Mike Malone told me of this pattern last summer when I was inquiring about effective lake patterns. Mike lives on the Parks Highway and fishes and guides on the local lakes in the Mat-Su Valley. Mike fishes the fly in two different ways. When there are cruising fish, keep the fly in the surface film, with very slight twitches. This pattern is also effective when used under a dry midge. Mike allows the fly to sink a foot or two under the dry (often a parachute for visibility) strikes are about 50/50 dry/wet when using this technique. The larva/pupa is attached on a dropper a couple feet in front of the dry. Keep both patterns small.

Previous Flies
January 2000: Scud
December 1999: Sockeye Fry
November 1999: Not available
October 1999: Pin Head Muddler
September 1999: Signal Light
August 1999: Pink Pollywog
July 1999 : Leonard Shrimp
June 1999 : Delong Lake Special (parachute)
May 1999 : Beady-eye Nymph
April 1999 : General Practitioner
March 1999 : Sculpin (woolhead bunny)
February 1999 : Popsicle
January 1999 : Nuclic Bunny
December 1998: Alaska Mary Ann
November 1998: Niukluk Smolt
October 1998: Sea Flea
September 1998: Frank's Fly
August 1998: Sparkle Shrimp
July 1998: Flashfly
June 1998: Comet
May 1998: Everglow
April 1998: Battle Creek Special
March 1998: Pearl Marabou Smolt
February 1998: Crystal Egg Wooly Bugger
January 1998 : Tangle Lakes Teaser
December 1997: Bead-Head Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle


Feburary 2000 by Rich Johnson Midge Larva/Pupa Past AFF President Mike Malone told me of this pattern last summer when I was inquiring about effective lake patterns. Mike lives on the Parks Highway and fishes and guides on the local lakes in the Mat-Su Valley. Mike fishes the fly in two different ways. When there are cruising fish, keep the fly in the surface film, with very slight twitches. This pattern is also effective when used under a dry midge. Mike allows the fly to sink a foot or two under the dry (often a parachute for visibility) strikes are about 50/50 dry/wet when using this technique. The larva/pupa is attached on a dropper a couple feet in front of the dry. Keep both patterns small.
	Hook: #18 Standard Dry or Wet Thread: 8/0 black Tail: Yarn from mylar tubing Rib: Copper wire, fine Abdomen: Black thread Thorax: Peacock herl Wing: Yarn from mylar tubing
	1) Attach the thread slightly behind the eye and wrap back. binding in the rib as soon as the thread is secure. Wrap the thread to the rear of the body.
	2) The synthetic yarn I used came from the core of some Everglow mylar tubing. The core is comprised of several smaller clumps.
	3) Separate out a small bundle of one of the clumps. ON a size 18, less is more.
	4) Attach the fibers on top of the hook shank and carefully wrap the thread forward covering the yarn as you go. Stop about 1/3 shank from the eye.
	5) Attach a single peacock herl at this point. Make sure the flues of the herl are on the top. I prefer to use a herl from an eyed feather for this type of thorax. Don't cut one from too close to the eye as these herls have thicker stems and small flues. Wrap the thread forward, placing the last two wraps under the wing.
	6) Wrap the herl forward and tie off on the bottom of the fly, under the wing.
	7) Spiral the copper wire over the entire body. Creating segments and reinforcing the body. Bring the wire under the wing and place two wraps in front of the wing before cutting and whip finishing. Trim the tail short and the wing slightly longer.
	The Finished Fly
	8a) A spinner version of this pattern can be created by trimming the tail down to just a few fibers as long as the body, and splitting the wing fibers with figure wight wraps during step 5. X-wrap the peacock herl around the wing base.
	9a) Trim the wings to the length of the body. Separate the fibers with a velcro brush.