What is that midge?

[salamid]

This time of year, I fish lots of local ponds after mostly stocked trout. Walden and Plugs Pond to name the last two. There are loads of a local fairly large midge on the ponds around here that I would like to identify and I'm hoping someone can help me out. I've literally seen clouds of these things at times. It's a fairly large midge and looks a bit like a large mosquito. The few trout I've killed are just stuffed with the pupa or larvae of these things. Empty a belly and it looks like a thick blackish paste with tiny white dots.

I have spoken with other anglers who recommend everything from size 18 midges to large wet flys successfully on these waters. I want to narrow that down a bit. I thought maybe these are phantom midges, but, I think the black belly contents suggest otherwise. Anybody know what this midge is? Suggest a fly or two? Thanks.

[JohnDe]

Haven't done pond fishing for a few years but... A local legend, the late great Jack Cooper had a fly called the Woody (also called little woody or wood duck fly) in a size #12 or #14 that worked extremely well. The Woody is a wet fly with a tail and wing of lemon wood duck, peacock herl body and RI Red hen beard. The fly sits in the surface film. The technique Jack used was to employ a very looong leader, up to 18' and let the fly just sit there with an occasional twitch. I remember watching the end of the fly line move to detect a subtle pick up. The fish may have actually taken the Woody for a midge cluster. A #18 black adams used to work for me as well.

[Pauper Piscator]

Not sure if you are looking for a species or a pattern, but for pattern try a tiny tuft of some Black or DK grey CDC on a 22. Wrap the hook black and tie in a tiny tuft like an Elk hair caddis wing just itty bitty.

[titleguy]

Sounds like it might be chironomid pupae- Look in your old pattern books for an english pattern called a "buzzer". Otherwise, use a scud hook in your size of choice, thread or floss body ( or you can use crystal flash a la "The Disco Midge"), small tuft of antron as a post ( parachute style) and either ostrich or peacock hurl for the head. :-%

[Jim Miller]

Half in Jest ......
About this time of the year we have clouds of midges in the north country. But these BITE --123-3 and we call them BLACKFLIES!!! (they are actually part of the midge family). And the trout luv them! (#$119)

My favorite midge pattern (for blackfies too) is the Griffiths Gnat that resembles a midge cluster. ;)

hope this helps.

[salamid]

Thanks for the replies and advice. I actually had been hearing for a few years about a "little woody" fly and found someone who gave me one to copy a while back. They work on these waters. I had not done well fishing it though and based on JohnDe's advice I think I might improve on that.

I searched a little for a chironomid pupae based on Titleguy's response. Found the link below and it appears to be a match. That's got to be the same bug.

http://www.ariverneversleeps.com/backissues/december00/flybox.shtml

Thanks again.

[sagamoron]

try an RS2. its so simple to tie and I have found that in black you can fool fish on top with it. check out the link. very zen....

http://home.att.net/~ferenc/