Ice Nymph/Midge Tying Tutorial

This is not an original pattern and I suspect it has been independently developed more then once, but what matters is it catches fish. In the previous post on Midges I gave a gallery of the ones I put together and keep ini my box.  Most of which are simple variations of the pattern tutorial below. Very minor material changes can produce dynamically different midge/nymph patterns.

The color of thread is the most obvious thing to change to result in a totally different color fly, but adding flash for the underbody adds additional variations. Plus different types of flash make for very different color patterns. The choice of rib can also change how prominent the segmentation is on a fly. You might surprised how much of  difference extra small wire versus small wire makes on a size 20 fly.

Let's get to the vise.

Place beaded hook securely in the vise.

Start the thread (UTC 70) behind the bead and secure wraps down the hook away form the bead use as few wraps as possible.  Its important through out this fly to not build up wraps behind the bead until both the Flashabou under body and wire rib have been wrapped back forward (see steps below).

Insert Ultrawire size small into the back of the bead and secure with a few wraps. 

Also insert 2-4 strands of silver Flashabou behind the bead and secure with several wraps.

Now wrap down into the bend of the hook with close flat wraps to bind the flash and wire to the hook.

Return the thread forward to just behind the bead.

Wrap the Flashabou forward with consecutive wraps to cover the entire hook up to the bead. Then tie off the Flashabou with a minimal number of wraps. Finally cut the tag ends.

Make well spaced wire wraps with the Ultrwire to create the rib over the Flashabou body. Then tie off the wire and cut the tag end using old scissors or wire cutters.

Dub white ice dub on to the thread.

Wrap the dubbed thread behind the bead.

Whip finish the fly. 

Go Fishing.