Phantom Midge

HOOK: Dai Riki 135, sizes 10-14 THREAD: White BODY: Pearl Krystal Flash RIBBING: Small silver wire THORAX: A few wraps of 1/2 gray Scintilla dubbing and 1/2 white Wapsi Dubbing Enhancer BEAD: Pearl glass bead GILLS: White CDC, clipped short

Uses

Imitates pupae of the phantom midge. Jeff Morgan writes about this pattern: "While not an everyday pattern, this one can save the day when fish are feeding on the pupae of the nearly transparent phantom midge. The name phantom midge originated from the ghoulish "face" that appears on the thorax of the natural, making the creature look like a miniature ghost.

 
"Standard patterns, with their solid colors and firm silhouettes, are almost worthless if fish are picky. A thin, flashy pattern like this one can be the only answer. A pearlescent fly, while not perfectly the clear-white of the natural, is the best color, since using exclusively clear materials will let the dark hook shank show through. I guess this insect will remain a challenge for tiers to imitate until some wacky engineer comes up with a fluorocarbon fishhook!"

How to Fish

Use the static midge, deep midge, or slow retrieve presentations.