TYING A CRIPPLED MIDGE EMERGER
The Crippled Midge Emerger is an imitation of a hatching midge stuck in the water film. The fly is easy to tie, even in the smaller sizes, making it a good pattern for new tiers. It is a fly that can also be tied in other colors to imitate emerging mayflies.
Materials for Crippled Midge Emerger
| Part: | Materials: | Size/Color: |
| Hook: | Demmon | DGS900BL #16 |
| Thread: | Veevus | Black 14/0 |
| Tail: | Flashabou | Pearl |
| Body: | Hends | Body Quills Black |
| Wing: | CdC | White |
| Hackle: | Dry Fly Hackle | Black |
Video Instructions on How to Tie a Crippled Midge Emerger
Slideshow on How To Tie a Crippled Midge Emerger
Step 1 – Tie in the Trailing Shack and Make the Body
Tie in your tying thread and make even wraps until the tying thread is in line with the hook’s point. Here you can tie in one strand of flash and two strands of Body Quills. Tie down the materials for the tail and the body. You want to go quite far down the bend with the tying thread. Take the tying thread back to where you tied in the materials. Make touching turns with the Body Quills to create the body. Wrapping the Body Quills over a drop of varnish will give you a more robust fly.
Step 2 – Tie in the Wing and Make the Hackle
Tie in one CdC feather curving upwards with the tip pointing backward. A good piece of advice is to tie the feather in a bit longer than it should be with two thread turns, then pull it to the correct length. The wing should be a bit longer than the body of the midge pattern. When the length is correct, tie it down and remove any excess. Tie in the hackle feather with the shiny side facing you, make a few wraps, and tie the hackle off. Complete the fly with a whip finish or a few half-hitches and some varnish.
How to Fish the Crippled Midge Emerger
You can fish this emerging midge imitation in both lakes and rivers. It is a great pattern to tie on your tippet when the fish is feeding on midges. Present the fly upstream and let it dead drift over rising fish. If you want a lower profile on the fly, you can trim off some of the hackle from the underside of the fly.
