Zebra Midge · Nymph
Late light on a small dark fly
A beaded Zebra Midge pupa in black and silver, size 16 on a curved short-shank hook, for trout on the Owyhee River, Oregon, in November.
A Zebra Midge in size 16 with a slim curved body and a bright silver bead at the eye. The body is black thread, banded by tight turns of small silver wire.
- Pattern
- Zebra Midge
- Imitates
- Midge pupae rising to the film, typically through November days
- Hook
- size 16
- Tippet
- 5Xrule of three
- Silver bead for weight and flash
- Black thread body, slim taper
- Small silver Ultra Wire rib
- Dai-Riki 125 curved hook, size 16
- Sized for November midge pupae
On the water
A silver bead catches the low November sun. Behind it, a smooth black thread body curves down toward the bend, ringed by neat silver wire. Out of focus, the river runs grey-blue past willows gone gold.
Fish it deep and slow, under an indicator or below a dry, where midges drift through soft water. Let it dead-drift and stay patient. A tiny lift at the end of the drift can mimic a pupa heading up. On the Owyhee, the outfitters at trroutfitters.com, Idaho Angler and Jump Creek Flies all keep this pattern on their lists, in black and in red.
Thread control makes this fly. Flatten the 8/0 by spinning it counter to its twist, and build the body in thin, even layers so the taper stays slim and the wire beds down without gaps.
Rigging
- Tippet
- 5Xhook size divided by three
- Leader
- Nine feet, with fluorocarbon tippet to get it down
- Tie on 6X fluorocarbon tippet and set the depth so the fly ticks near the bottom.
- Rig it as a dropper 12 to 18 inches under a small dry or a larger nymph.
- Dead-drift first, then add a slow lift at the end of each swing.
Where and when
- Hatch
- Midge pupae rising to the film, typically through November days
- Target
- Brown trout, Trout
- Water type
- Slow runs, soft seams and flats
- Also fishes
- Any slow tailwater or spring creek with steady winter midges, and stillwater margins fished under an indicator.
Make it yourself
Beginner3 materials · 9 steps
- Pattern
- Zebra Midge
- Style
- Nymph
- Hook
- Dai-Riki 125size 16
- Thread
- Black 8/0
Materials in the order they go on the hook
- BeadSilver bead, 1/16 inch
- RibSmall silver Ultra Wire
- BodyBlack 8/0 tying thread
Details
- Imitates
- Midge pupa
- Colors
- Black, Silver
How to tie it
The steps, from first wrap to whip finish (9)
- Slide the silver bead onto the hook, small hole toward the point, and seat it at the eye.
- Mount the hook in the vise and start the black 8/0 thread just behind the bead.
- Tie in the small silver Ultra Wire behind the bead and bind it along the top of the shank.
- Wrap the thread down into the bend to about the hook barb, covering the wire smoothly.
- Wrap back up toward the bead in flat layers, building a slight taper thicker near the front.
- Spiral the wire forward in eight to ten evenly spaced turns, opposite the thread direction.
- Tie off the wire behind the bead and helicopter it to break it off clean.
- Build a small, neat thread collar right behind the bead to cover the wire end.
- Whip finish behind the bead and trim the thread.
Proportions (4)
- Body runs from the bead down into the bend, ending about level with the barb.
- Body thickness at the front roughly matches half the bead diameter, tapering to the hook shank at the rear.
- Rib turns sit about one wire width apart for a clear banded look.
- Thread collar stays short, no wider than two wraps behind the bead.
Tips (3)
- Spin the bobbin to flatten the thread so the body stays smooth and thin.
- Keep thread layers minimal; a slim midge looks right in the water.
- Wrap the wire with firm, even tension so the bands stay straight.
Common mistakes (3)
- Building a fat body; use fewer passes and let the bead carry the weight.
- Uneven rib spacing; count turns and keep the gap steady from rear to front.
- Leaving a wire tag under the collar; break it off by twisting rather than cutting.
Every kit size
Materials only
Size 16 · Materials only · 12 flies
$26.15
$2.18 a fly
Includes Dai-Riki 125 · Silver bead · and 4 more
Every item in this kit · 6 items
Hooks & beads
- Dai-Riki 125$6.50
- Silver bead, 1/16 inch$7.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
- Small silver Ultra Wire$3.25
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 48 flies
$40.95
$0.85 a fly
Bought separately $43.10 · you save $2.15
Includes Dai-Riki 125 · Silver bead · and 4 more
Every item in this kit · 6 items
Hooks & beads
- Dai-Riki 125$13
- Silver bead, 1/16 inch$15
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$5.90
- Small silver Ultra Wire$3.25
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · Materials only · 144 flies
$96.27
$0.67 a fly
Bought separately $109.40 · you save $13.13
Includes Dai-Riki 125 · Silver bead · and 4 more
Every item in this kit · 6 items
Hooks & beads
- Dai-Riki 125$35
- Silver bead, 1/16 inch$41
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$17.70
- Small silver Ultra Wire$9.75
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
With vise & tools
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 12 flies
$176.15
$14.68 a fly
Includes Dai-Riki 125 · Silver bead · and 13 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Hooks & beads
- Dai-Riki 125$6.50
- Silver bead, 1/16 inch$7.50
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$2.95
- Small silver Ultra Wire$3.25
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 48 flies
$183.45
$3.82 a fly
Bought separately $193.10 · you save $9.65
Includes Dai-Riki 125 · Silver bead · and 13 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Hooks & beads
- Dai-Riki 125$13
- Silver bead, 1/16 inch$15
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$5.90
- Small silver Ultra Wire$3.25
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
Size 16 · With vise & tools · 144 flies
$228.27
$1.59 a fly
Bought separately $259.40 · you save $31.13
Includes Dai-Riki 125 · Silver bead · and 13 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Hooks & beads
- Dai-Riki 125$35
- Silver bead, 1/16 inch$41
Thread & wire
- Black 8/0 thread$17.70
- Small silver Ultra Wire$9.75
Finishing
- Head cement$5.95
Tools
- Rotary pedestal vise$79
- Ceramic bobbin$14
- Fine-point scissors$16
- Whip finisher$9
- Hackle pliers$7
- Bodkin$5
- Bobbin threader$4
- Dubbing wax$4
- Canvas tool roll$12
Guide
- Printed recipe and tying stepsIncluded
The creator
How it was made
1 iteration led here; the saved one is marked
1 Saved
Remixes
1 remix of this
Where this came from
“a fly tied for Owyhee River, Oregon”
fly pattern · made
1 remix
25 — from 1 remix, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- zebra midge
- midge pupa
- nymph
- silver bead
- silver wire
- size 16
- november
- trout
- brown trout
- owyhee river
- oregon
- tailwater