The pattern notebook · emerger
Gray Midge
How do you tie a Gray Midge?
Gray Midge is a emerger fly pattern for trout. Find its 6 materials and 37 tying steps below.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5
- Target species
- trout
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Hook: Size 14
- Thread: Gray Uni-Thread
- Tail: Clear fishing line
- Body: Gray tying floss
- Wing: Pearl Crystal Flash
- Thorax: Fine gray dubbing
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Tying instructions
Secure the hook in the vise.
Load a bobbin with gray Uni-Thread.
Start the thread behind the hook eye.
Snip the tag end.
Double a length of clear fishing line over, then snip it in half.
Double one of the halves over to form a small loop.
Place the loop on top of the hook shank so it extends well out in front of the hook eye.
Take thread wraps to secure the loop.
Wrap rearward, making sure the two strands are side by side on top of the hook.
Bind the strands down all the way back to the start of the hook bend.
Lift the front loop up and snip it off close.
Pull the tails apart to provide a little bit of separation.
Fold the midpoint of the thread tag around the inside of the hook bend.
Bring the thread up to between the two tails, then secure it with two or three wraps of tying thread.
Pull the tag beneath the thread wraps to further splay the tails.
Continue taking thread wraps over top of the tag to firmly lock it in place.
Pull the excess up to vertical and snip it off close.
Bring the two tails back and together, and trim them off to a full hook in length.
Double over one of the lengths of gray tying floss and cut it in half.
Lay the floss against the near side of the hook and take a couple of thread wraps to loosely secure it.
Continue taking thread wraps to bind the floss down all the way back to the base of the tails.
Wind your tying thread forward to about the one-third point on the hook shank.
Start taking touching to overlapping wraps with the floss to build up a lightly tapered body on the fly.
When you reach your tying thread, use it to anchor the floss, then snip the excess off close.
Snip two strands of pearl crystal flash free from the hank, then fold them in half.
Get hold of the unfolded ends and place them on top of the hook shank, then take thread wraps to secure them.
Snip the excess rear-pointing ends off close.
Use a bodkin to fold back the crystal flash so it extends about a hook shank length in front of your tying thread.
Use wraps of tying thread to anchor the flash to the top of the hook shank.
Hold on to the rearward-pointing ends and snip them off close.
Carefully separate the crystal flash so you end up with two even-length loops on either side of the fly.
Take cross wraps of tying thread to hold the loops perpendicular to the hook shank.
Pull just a small amount of fine gray dubbing free from the packet.
Use the dubbing to produce a very thin inch-and-a-half-long noodle on your tying thread.
Start taking cross wraps with the noodle to further separate the wings and to build up a bulbous little thorax on the fly.
End with bare thread at the back edge of the hook eye.
Do a four- or five-turn whip finish, then seat the knot well and snip your tying thread free.