In this week’s “How to Tie” feature, Craig Mathews with Patagonia ties a fly that you can fish all year long for sipping trout, the Pheasant Tail Zelon Midge.
Learn How to Tie This Fly:
Difficulty: Intermediate
There are few flies that you can tie and fish year-round. The two that likely come to mind are leeches and midges, both of which happen to be some of the most productive options in fly boxes. Whether you fish a woolly bugger in the winter or summer, it is simply going to catch fish. Trout also consistently eat midges throughout the year, but lack the same attention due to their small sizes, which makes them difficult to tie. One option to add some flare and productivity to your winter box is to spend the time mastering a phenomenal emerger pattern, the Pheasant Tail Zelon Midge.
For expert tyers, this fly won’t be much of a challenge. Working with small hooks and materials can be incredibly frustrating for many behind the vise, but gaining the skill to do so is well worth the pain. Being able to consistently tie quality patterns between sizes 18-24 allows you to imitate small bugs that fish will eat every day, all year, with midges just being one of them. The Pheasant Tail Zelon Midge will target trout feeding high in the water column, making for some of the most visual takes and fishing during the winter months.
Be prepared to come to the water with lighter tippet during colder months. With trout becoming more and more lethargic as temperatures continue to slip, don’t expect them to chase very far for their meals. Dropping down to 5-6x will give you your best chance at fooling these selective fish, as they switch to easy and consistent meals to keep them going all winter. It’s time to start bringing the Pheasant Tail Zelon Midge wherever you go because you never know when the next chance at targeting rising trout might be.
Ingredients:
- Hook: Tiemco TMC 2488 or 100BL, #18–#26
- Thread: 8/0 UNI-Thread to match body color (olive dun or black is the most common)
- Shuck: Zelon or Para Post, medium or dark dun, or none
- Body: The shuck, ribbed
- Wings: Zelon or Para Post, medium or dark dun
- Thorax: 2–3 black natural pheasant tail barbs
Now you know how to tie the Pheasant Tail Zelon Midge!
Video courtesy of Patagonia.
