This cool little pattern comes from my dear friend, Dennis Miller. Dennis runs the fly shop down in Almont during the summer months and both he and his son, Brad (see the Span Juan Worm here on the FlyBox) create some super effective, guide-style fish catchers. The D-Midge is Dennis’ answer to an all-around dropper style fly that can be taken for a variety of insects. Tied with two glass beads and a bit of sparkling flouro fiber, the D-Midge is a crafty little bug that deserves a spot in your fly box.
Materials Needed:
Hook: TMC 2487 or 2488 #16-22
Beads: Extra Small Glass
Thread: 70 Denier UTC, color of choice
Tail: Flouro Fiber, color of choice
Rib: Fine Wire
Legs: More Flouro Fiber
Step 1
Start by threading two glass beads onto the hook and pushing them up to the eye. Mount the hook in the vise.
Step 2
Start the thread immediately behind the front bead and build a small nub of thread behind it sufficient to hold it tightly against the hook eye.
Step 3
Push the second bead up tight against the thread bump and jump the thread toward the rear of the hook over the second bead.
Step 4
Wrap a smooth thread base down the shank to the bend and back again to the back edge of the second bead.
Step 5
Tie in eight strands of (white) Flouro Fiber at the back edge of the bead with just a couple turns of thread. Be sure the stub ends are flush to the thread wraps and that the Flouro is tied in on top of the hook shank.
Step 6
Tie in a piece of wire along the near side of the shank at the back edge of the second bead. Again, use just a couple turns of thread to secure the wire in place.
Step 7
Hold the Fluoro Fiber and wire in place in their respective positions and wrap back over them to the bend of the hook. The Fluoro should stay atop the shank and the wire should stay along the side. Work forward again with the thread building a slightly tapered abdomen to the back of the bead.
Step 8
Wrap the wire forward to the bead with about four evenly spaced spiral wraps, tie it off and helicopter the end to break it free. Clip the tail fibers so they are about as long as the abdomen.
Step 9
Jump the thread forward into the space between the two beads.
Step 10
Lay the remaining eight strands of Flouro Fiber in between the beads along the far side of the hook and tie them down with a few wraps at the center of their length.
Step 11
Pull the forward facing fibers back along the near side of the hook and bind them in place with a few more turns of thread.
Step 12
Whip finish the thread between the beads. Clip.
Step 13
Trim the legs to just slightly longer than the second bead.
Step 14
Add a small drop of head cement to the thread wraps between the beads.
Step 15
Black/Purple version
Black Fluoro Fiber, Silver wire, Purple Beads and black thread
Step 16
Grey Version
Grey thread, Pearl Beads, White Fluoro Fiber and Black Wire
Step 17
Olive version
Olive thread and beads, black wire and Olive Fluoro
