Zebra Midge - Black

Zebra Midge – Black

The Zebra Midge is one of the most productive and widely used midge patterns in fly fishing — a simple, precise design that has become a staple on tailwaters and spring creeks around the world. Developed on the San Juan River in New Mexico, the Zebra Midge imitates the larval and pupal stages of the chironomid midge, one of the most abundant and important food sources for trout in tailwaters, spring creeks, and stillwaters. The black body with silver wire ribbing creates the segmented, translucent profile of a midge pupa, while the silver tungsten bead adds weight to get the fly into the strike zone quickly and provides a bright attractor point that trout key on in clear water.

Pattern Details

• Style: Midge larva / pupa imitation
• Body: Black thread with silver wire ribbing — segmented, translucent profile that closely imitates midge larvae and pupae
• Head: Silver tungsten bead — gets the fly down fast and creates a bright attractor point in clear water
• Best water: Tailwaters, spring creeks, and stillwaters — wherever midges are the primary food source; especially effective in clear, low-water conditions
• Target species: Trout
• Techniques: Dead-drifted along the bottom under an indicator through feeding lanes; tight-line nymphed through runs and pools; effective as a dropper behind a dry fly or heavier anchor nymph
• Sizes available: 18, 20

A tailwater staple that produces year-round on the most demanding trout water — the Black Zebra Midge delivers the precise, segmented profile and bright bead that selective trout key on when midges are the primary food source.