The box that Knowles donated for each of the fly fishers who signed up for the TU trip during the week contains 36 flies. The wire body can help imitate the segmented bodies of those midges and caddisflies. You need to make sure the pattern is actually a Root Beer Midge. Knowles studied Midge Magic, a book by Don Holbrook and Ed Koch. There was discussion of his Georgia time when he got into fly fishing, finally diving in full bore with a purchase of a Heddon fiberglass rod, then later a Ted Williams model from Montgomery Ward. The Y2K may be famous in Georgia, but its a series of productive midges that have become the staples in Arkansas shops. He was catching fish and I wasnt. But Ill say this, of all the places Ive fished, Arkansas and Montana are the two best. They tied with embroidery floss, with holographic tinsel, Knowles said. "Then, the root beer midge came along," Knowles said, noting it's been his go-to midge on his trips back to his native Montana for about the last five summers. Man I love that! Although new flavors have been introduced into the root beer category over the past 100 years, the essential ingredients are still wintergreen, licorice, and vanilla. The recipe for a ruby that I sell to shops calls for six wraps of black floss. Im his field tester and thats fine by me. Follow along as the Razorbacks play the Raiders at Baum-Walker Stadium. It also sinks like a stone, and that means you can fish deeper. Unsubscribe any time. Sales Unit: Each WARNING Loading all product options and pricing. Knowles does take breaks. Hi Joel, this post is two and a half years old. Seriously though, if you plan on fishing any tailwater in the western United States, you should keep a lot of these on hand, because this fly is unbelievable. You can go to a hot spot and find 10 people already there. Firstly, making use of a light tippet is going to help make the midges more effective as they are smaller than other bait that you would usually use. 8. ThanksI concur bout the picturesplease provide a collection so we can purchase some. I knew it worked better than the nickel, so I switched, he said. Now, just so were clear, you dont want to go out and buy any midge thats just root beer colored. The combination of white Zelon, and grizzly hackle imitates the clustered midges very effectively. An effective springtime pattern here on the Bighorn, the Root Beer Midge is a go-to pattern when midge pupae are ascending to the surface. Nice to give the web sites hits for sharing their content, but bad to frustrate your users. Add some to the box this winter and watch your catch rate increase! If you have Color Sharpie Permanent marks, your tubing can be any color, just use the Sharpie. If I can get these four things on a fly, it almost always triggers a response. Knowles, 83, has a pheasant tail nymph variant that he calls his Prism PT. This is the fly that Fayettevilles David Knowles showed me about five years ago. Just like the Griffiths Gnat, the key to its effectiveness seems to be in the iridescence of the peacock body. I attempted to click on the names and see the midges but they would not come up due to unsafe network connections. Hes a commercial production tier and a retired University of Arkansas professor. That means there's a lot of midges out there that can directly benefit the success rate you have when it comes to reeling in fish. As only a retired engineer would do, Knowles worked out the details with elaborate field tests with delicate changes each trip. A lot of local fishing shops that sell fishing equipment will also have midges available to buy. If you are going to fish anywhere in the United States, you should have about a dozen of these on-hand in black, olive and red. You might want to consider the time of day that pupae often emerge too. The brand can trace its roots back to 1924, the year when founder Frank Stewart decided to make the world's finest root beer. He isnt going to stop tying for shops anytime soon. 7 Essential Things To Look For In A Fly Box, What To Wear Fly Fishing: The Anglers Apparel Guide, Your email address will not be published. It was sometime around 2001 when a sports writer got into fly fishing. I think there are a lot of similarities between my midges and the zebra midges. "But I call it the Prism PT because that has a better ring to it than Ice PT," Knowles said. So I bought a Thompson vise and tied some poor quality versions.. I really think the root beer will work anywhere, Knowles said. With so many variations and patterns out there, hopefully, this guide has given you a starter pack of patterns to choose from. This has become a reliable pattern for many tailwater guides because it is not only effective, but its easy to see, as well. David has never touted me on a fly that didnt work. All the triggers are in his midges. I think the cotton gets fuzzy after a few fish and it gets buggier, he said. Hes also still learning what flies catch the most fish. One cool river gets its flow from a spring that forms deep underground. Root Beer Midge(sizes 18 & 20) Im going to get instant feedback.. Roaring River and the White River below Beaver Dam are refreshing places to spend summer days when nature cranks up the heat. I fished with Knowles and O'Connor earlier this fall on the Beaver tailwater. John likes and uses the Tiemco TMC3761 or the Dai Riki 060. I tell people that the fly shop owners need us. Knowles is quick to hand out his new creations to get feedback. It was developed in November and December of 1999. There is an annual fishing trip to Montana, usually solo. Ryan likes to tie this [] I have come to find out with my field testing that the darker ruby midges with more black wraps work better. But I found that it fished better with a gold bead.. So I wasnt very creative and called it my Y2K. Engineers dont try to re-invent the wheel. David Knowles is a long-time Arkansas fly designer and commercial tyer, who developed this pattern. Yes, if the bins are empty in a hurry and the repeat customers ask for a Knowles fly, its sweet music. Smokejumper(sizes 18 & 20) When it comes to choosing a nymph for the first time, its worth looking at the midges that are already around the area and that you can see. That fly was money as soon as Knowles created it late in 1999. John Bush and Todd Fecho were catching a lot of trout on this little midge. But I call it the Prism PT because that has a better ring to it than Ice PT, Knowles said. You can see the red lots of red between the black wraps on a ruby a lot easier than brown over brown. I just havent tested it enough to say for sure. He looked at me and said, Here, try this. It was a beautiful moment. Guides skip steps to speed the tying process. Just to help, I am an Orvis fun. Root Beer Midge Sizes: 16 - 20 ACFMC2062 VC Midge Emerger Sizes: 18 - 22 ACFMC2105 Top Secret Midge Sizes: 18 - 22 ACFMC2104 Crystal Midge Olive Sizes: 16 - 20 KCFMC2027 Crystal Midge Black Sizes: 16 - 20 KCFMC2025 Crystal Midge Brown Sizes: 16 - 20 KCFMC2026 Chironomid Bomber Green Silver Sizes: 14 - 16 ACFMC2089 Chironomid Bomber Black Red Seriously though, this little midge pattern (yeah, we were talking about a midge pattern, you sicko) is one of the best flies you will ever buy. When making these patterns, you want to make them as subtle as possible. You want your patterns to stand out, so adding a flash of color when it comes to the thread or other types of materials used can entice the fish and flash materials can imitate that bubble we talked about earlier that happens in the pupa stage of the midge. And lastly, the dries or adult midges are the final stages that fly fisher will care most about. 9. Just remember, what they lack in size, they make up for in performance. It can be tied with either prism dubbing or ice dubbing. Going to the San Juan come June. Arkansas softball team remained undefeated in the Wooo Pig Classic following Fridays , The dramatics were minimal for Fridays series opener against Wright State for , Kentucky All-American forward Oscar Tshiebwe didnt have his typical game when the , Kamani Johnson will be the only Arkansas player honored on senior day , Will previous happenings affect Kentucky and Arkansas in the regular-season finale at , ( It was actually a row of bins with a variety of colors in the signature Knowles fly, the Y2K egg pattern. Please wait. Its an olive color. Its not your typical egg. Midge patterns form an essential part of any fly box throughout the fishing year. Our guides have used this fly often to put clients on fish around and over the 24" mark. One size only (#18 . My fly tying mentor picked it up from Mel OConnor, like David a retired University of Arkansas professor. This can help alert you to detect subtle takes and to hopefully catch the fish earlier on than you would have. David Knowles is a long-time Arkansas fly designer and commercial tyer, who developed this pattern. How about putting a pic and recipe for each fly rather than having to click on each one individually? Get all the latest information on Events, Sales and Offers. I was fishing the root beer, the fly I thought they were most likely throwing. This is one of the most widely used patterns on tailwaters, considering that midges are present 12 months out of the year. I got the crazy idea to convert some Danish sea trout and salmon flies to intruders. Sturgis relies on the Knowles midges and has fished them with great success in spots on Montana rivers suggested by Knowles. We have a great place, Northwest Arkansas. I want to show off our state. The few that do didnt make their money from a fly shop. 1. With its segmented body, flashabou wings, and peacock hurl head, it is sure to draw some fire the next time you hit the water. Fishing below the surface is where you want to be to perfectly mimic the traits of a midge that hatches under the water. Bryen Venema is thefly-shop manager and a guide at the Bighorn Angler in Fort Smith, Montana. It can be tied with either prism dubbing or ice dubbing. A fly touted by David Knowles is about as reliable as saying a Sam Pittman team is going to play hard. Youll have to ask him. ). Midge patterns are an essential part of any anglers fly box. Unfortunately, with a daily blog featuring more than a decade of content, we cant keep track of all the links that change over time. It costs money to drive a large site like this. However, many fishing spots have the fish there ready for you to catch, but it might be a case of what you have on the end of your fishing rod thats causing the issue. The ice dubbing works, but the prism dubs easier, Knowles said. I know better, but here goes, with limited detail. We feel the effectiveness of this pattern has to do with the varying color tones in the pattern and the translucency of the red tubing over the black thread. This is a very simple midge to tie; about the hardest thing is getting the tubing on. Its a subtle difference, but one pattern will leave you much less satisfied than the other. Ive seen a couple different variations of this pattern over time, but the one you want to look for has a striking resemblance to a Zebra Midge. One, its always small, Knowles said. Darr does well catching trout with a ruby midge or root beer. The cluster that these midges form on the surface of the water is due to them mating, and it's seen as a perfect meal for the trout because it's worth the effort for them to come up to the surface, rather than for just a single midge. It appears thats happening late this season, so be careful where you step. If you want to catch gator trout consistently, youve got to target them. Better to get them from the inventor, said John Sturgis, Trout Unlimiteds state council for the last three years. In terms of fly tying yourself, its worth doing some research into what equipment youll need and the materials in which will make up your midge. In fact, nearly every time I take a first-timer out to a river and rig them up with some sort of midge pattern, the first words out of their mouth are as follows: will they really be interested in something that small?. 6. All rights reserved. That $2 mark was a psychological block. Other midges will deposit these eggs in or under the water's surface. It got frustrating clicking on one after the other that had no server found, went nowhere, or to a website but not to the pattern. Darr does well at catching trout with a ruby midge or root beer midge. Sorry there was no pictures! Drop us a line and we'll get back to you, asap. Great list of flies but several of the links are dead. Just be ready for a show of flying trout. There is a thumb that has signs of arthritis, but Aleve takes care of that in short order. All I can tell you is that you should buy about 50 of these things. Most midges are not going to be bigger than a size #16 hook, and so the smaller you can go, the better. It's important to learn about midges and their traits before you start using them fly fishing. Knowles studied Midge Magic, a book by Don Holbrook and Ed Koch. Hed give me some, but I broke off so many on light tippet that I got tired of asking him for more, Knowles said. Your email address will not be published. Midges are close related to mosquitoes, black flies, and the common housefly that you'd see in and around your home. This has been a hot fly this winter on Rapid Creek and Spearfish Creek. The midge pupa's newly formed wings can trap gas bubbles, and that allows the midge to ascend to the surface. Its much easier to change when there are no strikes and that is required, too. Or off another fly using sinking line or leader and strip. A native of Carbondale, Ill., Born moved to Arkansas in 1972 with his wife Carol. Morgans Midge is one of the simpler flies on this list, and similar to the Trailing Shuck Midge, it features, well, a trailing shuck. I got a lot more publicity from Unicoa than anywhere. Join the discussion or start a new one on the Forums. Its going to be a good day.. It's during this stage that many tend to get snapped up by fish. Knowles said his fly tying just stokes his hobby. the article would have been much better Since hes a production tier, simple is important. Knowles will be 81 in March. My dad introduced me to the Root Beer Midge a few years back, and it was one of the best moments in my fly fishing journey. When fish get picky and refuse to take anything else you throw at them, the Transitional Midge can be a game changer. Hey Orvis most of the links are broken. Its been bright silver ever since at all of the Arkansas shops. If the Zebra Midge isnt quite flashy enough for your liking, then you should consider buying a few Crystal Midges. An easy pattern to tie, and a proven pattern through the winter months. The real benefactor is Trout Unlimited. Or, if you prefer digital, our magazines are also available as a, 1275 South Patrick Dr. Suite A-9 | Satellite Beach, FL 32937 | 321.777.2773 |, The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is asking the public, in particular anglers, to report any sightings of any hellbender (water dogs) to the agency. &, Articulated Steelhead Flies & Salmon Flies. Is it possible to repost this with a photo of the flies? I took some of their colors and ideas for the diamond midge, but I used beads. He knows the state and has been a wonderful resource for plenty of Arkansas travelers headed to Montana. I have never fished a river it doesnt work.. You can tie them with various beads on the front to add appeal and/or weight. He can tie three dozen ruby midges in one hour. The shop owners like Michael McLellan here in Fayetteville are the ones who do the selling and deserve the money. I think that helps it. Engineer or not, Knowles the fly tier has rich creations with great influence on all of the great Arkansas trout fisheries. Mercury Midge Black Crystal Midge Zebra Midge Black Brassy Disco Midge I wouldn't have known about it except for a picture John Sturgis sent this week. Engineers are not creative, he said. Clay Henry is the publisher and executive editor of Hawgs Illustrated. So now that you've got a better understanding of the lifespan of midges and how they can benefit fly fishing, it's now time to move on to midge patterns. With midges, you can fish all year round, and for those who have a love for fishing, that can make for a thrilling opportunity. I want people to enjoy themselves while they are here.. . Because, if you ever find yourself standing in a river and see a bunch of emergers floating across the surface with their shuck still attached, youre going to look back on reading this article and regret not taking my advice. Need to fill up the box with heavy nymphs in no time? Add some to the box this winter and watch your catch rate increase! Recipe to Try: Quick and Easy Root Beer One recipe suggested using sassafras, sarsaparilla, ginger, licorice, and dandelion root. Ive probably donated 10 or 15 fly rods to the TU dinners to be auctioned. VIDEO: Musselman, Smith recap Arkansas' loss to Kentucky, Kentucky hands Arkansas third consecutive loss, LIVE UPDATES: Arkansas vs. Wright State Game 2, Razorback Report: Senior Day to include 1. Lighter versions of the root beer midge fish very well in the film and as a dropper behind a dry fly. I buy from the local fly shops, too. You want to be as accurate as possible, so doing a little visual research can certainly help with that. Knowles smiled broadly when this was mentioned during a two-hour lunch interview. I was fishing the root beer, the fly I thought they were most likely throwing. The Global FlyFisher has been online since the mid-90's and has been free to access for everybody since day one and will stay free for as long as I run it. In particular, if you plan on fishing any section of the South Platte, you should keep a few of these things at the ready. Get Special Offers and Savings. "They tied with embroidery floss, with. Female midges lay their eggs usually on the surface and in a gelatinous mass that can sometimes float down to the river bed. Subscribe To Fly Fishing Fix They couldnt sell them. It was just as good in north Georgia where competition for it in several fly shops eventually convinced Umpqua Feather Merchants to sign Knowles as a preferred tier and mass produced his Y2K. Root Beer Midge--FLINYMMID058. Sorry about that. Im excited that TU is having its national conference here. Zebra Midge(sizes 18 & 20) Cold water brings kayakers, bird-watchers and anglers But I call him the fly whisperer. Finally, some of his clients asked for the silver and Dally relented. The Black Rainbow and Purple colors make killer looking midges. He once tied for many shops around the country. If you've never come across using midges before, then you might not know everything there is to know about what they are and how they are so well-liked by many types of fish around the world. Dont go out on a tailwater fishery without a healthy selection of midge patterns, both subsurface and dry. The more you can get it to look like a midge, the better. It worked out surprisingly well. If you closely at the inch cut tubing above, one is colored with a Brown Sharpie. Imitating them when fishing is best done by using specific patterns, but we'll discuss more patterns later on in this article. Ive made that trip the last 33 years.. Its brown floss over brown holographic tinsel and how many wraps are not important to the fish. . We typically fish this pattern in combination with a crustacean pattern, such as a sowbug or scud. Do I mean a dozen of each, or a dozen combined? He thinks there are some common traits of a good fly. I got that filled in less than one week. Of course, the best field testing there is from a local shop. So a good selection of nymphs, emergers, and drys is important to have in your collection. Whether you are fishing the Bighorn, the Missouri, or a tailwater elsewhere in the country, midges are among the most important hatches. Follow along as the Razorbacks play the Raiders at Baum-Walker Stadium. We love Mary in Charlotte !! I am convinced the trout disregard things like the bend in a hook, Knowles said. Then, Bill told me to put a bead on it. And, I dont tie in legs like the traditional PT. In general, it's usually one batch of eggs. Some days Ive probably been close to double digits, but who counts? The Rootbeer Midge has joined David Knowles' Ruby Midge as one of the flies you cannot be without on our tailwaters. The Global FlyFisher has been online since the mid-90's and has been free to access for everybody since day one - and will stay free for as long as I run it. Knowles can tie two dozen Y2Ks in one hour. Fish it in a team with a heavy nymoh ahead. Why? Flash, thread and a bead _ it's remarkable that a fly so simple can be so productive. Arkansas softball team remained undefeated in the Wooo Pig Classic following Fridays , The dramatics were minimal for Fridays series opener against Wright State for , Kentucky All-American forward Oscar Tshiebwe didnt have his typical game when the , Kamani Johnson will be the only Arkansas player honored on senior day , Will previous happenings affect Kentucky and Arkansas in the regular-season finale at . However, when fish are looking for these midges, theyll be looking for it at eye level, which will be near the bottom. Knowles donated around 1,000 flies to be given away to TU travelers who signed up to fish during the national conference. No Sugar, with PICTURES the Article would have been Complete !!! Indeed, the Knowles version of the diamond midge replaced zebra midges as staples on the White River tailwaters below Beaver, Bull Shoals and Norfork dams. Great fish, Mary! Two, its shiny. Not only are midges part of a fish's diet, but when conditions get too cold, there might be other bugs that fish eat that don't tolerate the weather conditions, meaning midges need to be in more constant supply. Copper Tungsten bead , subtle brown hues in the body, this is a great cloudy day pattern. Where? You can also get this pattern tied with wires of different colors, including red, green, or two colors on a single fly. through several different channels, including PayPal. Three, the body is always segmented. He thinks tying with holographic tinsel and cotton embroidery floss is important. I used to sit down and tie about 60 dozen. How can that not be a good combination? Instead of peacock herl, use the prism dubbing. This fly, as funny as it looks, makes fish go crazy. Follow us and be up to date with upcoming giveaways & outdoor news! I dont know why they called it that, the modest engineer said. And second of all, yes! As mentioned on Fly Lords Mag, they recommend that you start with a midge nymph in the morning. Clay Henry is the publisher and executive editor of Hawgs Illustrated. Ive seen him float down the river in his kick boat and hand out flies to those having trouble as they wade fish. Great for bonefish patterns, steelhead flies, streamer bodies, nymphs and emergers. I think you know what Im going to say. Support the Global FlyFisher through several different channels, including PayPal. In my experience, for beginners, one of the most surprising aspects of fly fishing is how small so many of the flies actually are. As a second stage, this can be broken down into a further four stages known as instars. I dont know. Then, there is a black holographic tinsel midge that I really like. A lot of the midges tend to hatch in rivers that are kept at a consistent temperature. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. Root Beer Midge: Recommended for anglers who love the movie American Graffiti and the taste of drive-in root beer in frosty mugs, the Root Beer Midge is a hot pattern for trout feeding on brown midge pupa. The Tungteaser is able to imitate multiple species such as midges, black caddisflies, and Baetis. He has a huge heart.. Im proud of the fly fishing we have here. Lighter versions of the root beer midge fish . It may be small and green, but it has magic powers that could change your life. So I like cotton. These emerging pupae get stuck in or just below the surface film and are highly vulnerable to trout. Desert Storm ChartreuseSizes: 20 22ACFMC2090, Beadhead CDC Emeger OliveSizes: 18 22ACFMC2085, Beadhead CDC Emerger BlackSizes: 18 22ACFMC2084, J.J. Chironomid OliveSizes: 12 18ACFMC2097, GT Perfect Midge EmergerBlackSizes: 20 22ACFMC2091, Bodens Brainiac MysisSizes: 18 22ACDPBR1005, Brennan Midge OliveSizes: 16 20KCFMC2016, B Smos BWO Glo EmergerSizes: 18ACDPBS1007, B Smos Purple Glo MidgeSizes: 18ACDPBS1006, B Smos Montana Glo MidgeSizes: 18ACDPBS1005, Skeriks Supa Pupa RedSizes: 16 20KCDPAS1087, Skeriks Supa Pupa OliveSizes: 16 20KCDPAS1086, Skeriks Dew Drop MidgeRootbeerSizes: 16 20KCDPAS1078, Skeriks Dew Drop MidgeOliveSizes: 16 20KCDPAS1075, Skeriks Dew Drop Midge RedSizes: 16 20KCDPAS1076, Skeriks Dew Drop MidgeBlack PurpleSizes: 16 20KCDPAS1074, Skeriks Dew Drop MidgeRed IceSizes: 16 20KCDPAS1077, Skeriks Dew Drop MidgeBlack IceSizes: 16 20KCDPAS1073, Crystal Midge OliveSizes: 16 20KCFMC2027, Crystal Midge BlackSizes: 16 20KCFMC2025, Crystal Midge BrownSizes: 16 20KCFMC2026, Chironomid BomberGreen SilverSizes: 14 16ACFMC2089, Chironomid Bomber Black RedSizes: 12 16ACFMC2088, BH Brassie Bi ColorSilver RedSizes: 18 20ACFMC2119, BH Brassie Bi ColorSilver BlackSizes: 18 20ACFMC2118, BH Brassie Bi ColorGreen BlackSizes: 18 20ACFMC2117, BH Brassie Bi ColorCopper BlackSizes: 18 20ACFMC2116, Bodens Toxic Midge PupaSizes: 18 22ACDPBR1001, Bodens Toxic Midge PupaBlackSizes: 18 24ACDPBR1007, Bodens Holo BloodwormSizes: 18 22ACDPBR1004, Bodens BnB Midge LarvaSizes: 18 22ACDPBR1002, Bodens Bday Midge LarvaeSizes: 20 22ACDPBR1006, Zebra Midge PurpleSizes: 18 24KCFMC2111, Zebra Midge Black RedSizes: 16 22ACFMC2125, Glass Bead Thread MidgeRoot BeerSizes: 16 20KCFMC2049, Glass Bead Thread MidgeCreamSizes: 16 20KCFMC2045, Shanafelts Root Beer JailbirdMidgeSizes: 18 20ACDPPS1001, Shanafelts Lucent Bead LarvaRedSizes: 18 20KCDPPS1004, Shanafelts Jailbird MidgeSizes: 18 20ACDPPS1005, Poison Tongue Olive BlackSizes: 18 22ACFMC2101, Poison Tongue Gray BlueSizes: 18 22ACFMC2060, Mercury MidgePink ZebraSizes: 16 20KCDPJN1035, Mercury MidgeBlue ZebraSizes: 16 20KCDPJN1034, Mercury Zebra Midge CreamSizes: 16 20ACFMC2100, Mercury Zebra Midge BlackSizes: 16 20ACFMC2099, Mercury Midge BlackSizes: 16 20ACFMC2056, J.J. Chironomid ZebraSizes: 12 18ACFMC2094, J.J. Chironomid BloodSizes: 12 18ACFMC2093, John Woods Imposter Pupa(Purple)Sizes: 16 22ACDPJW1025, John Woods Imposter Pupa(Olive)Sizes: 16 22ACDPJW1024, John Woods Imposter Pupa(Red)Sizes: 16 22ACDPJW1026, John Woods Imposter Pupa(Blue Dun)Sizes: 16 22ACDPJW1022, John Woods Imposter Pupa(Brown)Sizes: 16 22ACDPJW1023, John Woods Imposter Pupa(Black)Sizes: 16 22ACDPJW1021, Ice Cream Cone RedSizes: 16 20ACFMC2092, Glass Bead Thread Midge RedSizes: 16 20KCFMC2048, Glass Bead Thread MidgeBlackSizes: 16 20KCFMC2044, Bjorns Flash Midge PupaSizes: 16 20ACDPBO1042, Bjorns Flash Midge LarvaSizes: 16 20ACDPBO1043, Erics Electric Midge RedSizes: 16 20KCFMC2037, Erics Electric Midge BlackSizes: 16 20KCFMC2036, BH Electric Blue MidgeSizes: 16 20ACFMC2121, BH Disco Midge RedSizes: 18 20ACFMC2122, BH Disco Midge GreenSizes: 18 20ACFMC2120, Petes Dick TeaserSizes: 16 20ACDPPS1012, Deep Brassie BlackSizes: 16 20ACFMC2028, Crystal Chironomid TanSizes: 14 18ACFMC2115, Crystal ChironomidRed BlackSizes: 14 18ACFMC2114, Cranfords Quill Midge RedSizes: 16 20KCDPJC1003, Cranfords Quill Midge BlackSizes: 16 20KCDPJC1001, BH Chironomid Pupa RedSizes: 12 18ACFMC2123. Join the discussion or start a new one on the Forums. The two big differences, the ruby and root beer have more shine because of the holographic tinsel. This is another transitional midge pattern that imitates an emerging midge pupa. Ive fished it in our Arkansas tailwaters and its really good. Fly tied by Dennis Stead size 18. And if youve never seen one before, dont be afraid to grab it and take a closer look. I wouldnt have known about it except for a picture John Sturgis sent this week. In low water on the Norfork this is hard to be for catching numbers and staying busy with the rod bent.