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Midges are the most important aquatic insects in some places, especially fertile spring creeks where they are extremely abundant and the current is so slow that it's efficient for trout to surface feed on very tiny insects.
Some midges are large, up to hook size 14, but the majority are size 22 or smaller. The number of genera and species is hopelessly huge for angler entomologists to ever learn, and the identifing characteristics often require slide-mounting tiny parts under high-powered microscopes. Even the most Latin-minded fisherman must slip back to the basics--size and color--to describe his local midge hatches. Read more...
There are 22 more specimens...
CaseyP | December 21st, 2007, 4:59 pm | |
Arlington, VA/ Mercersburg, PA Posts: 653 | are midges and gnats different bugs? if so, how? am tying midge larvae and pupae, and buying Griffith's Gnats and wondering if it's all in the family. | |
"You can observe a lot by watching." Yogi Berra | ||
Martinlf | December 21st, 2007, 6:18 pm | |
Moderator Palmyra PAPosts: 3233 | Hi Casey, The Griffith's Gnat is often used as a midge cluster imitation, or in smaller sizes as a hatching midge imitation. It frequently works when other flies fail, and many consider it a go to fly for tough fish that are taking midges. It can also serve as a great indicator when you're fishing pupae or larvae underneath by tying a dropper to the Griffith's Gnat (hook bend or eye) and a sunken fly to the other end of the dropper. By the way, how's the skiing? :) Happy Holidays! | |
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'" --Fred Chappell | ||
Taxon | December 21st, 2007, 9:25 pm | |
Site Editor Royse City, TXPosts: 1350 | are midges and gnats different bugs? if so, how? No, Casey. Both midge and gnat are colloquial names applied to various families within suborder Nematocera (longhorned flies) of order Diptera (true flies). This is somewhat easier to visualize at Aquatic True Fly Taxonomic Structure. | |
Best regards, Roger Rohrbeck www.FlyfishingEntomology.com | ||
Martinlf | December 22nd, 2007, 6:38 pm | |
Moderator Palmyra PAPosts: 3233 | Thanks Roger. I was comfortable with the tying question, and supposed that we were dealing with common names here, but wanted to leave the fine print to the bug guys. | |
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'" --Fred Chappell | ||
Title | Replies | Last Reply |
Re: Griffiths Gnat In Fly Tying by Mcflyangler | 1 | Jun 20, 2016 by Flytyerinpa |
Re: Beaver Pond(s)? In General Discussion by TimCat | 3 | Aug 11, 2016 by PaulRoberts |
Re: Fishing with my nephew In Fishing Reports by Martinlf | 13 | Jan 30, 2016 by Martinlf |
Re: Will the real Black Gnat please stand up? In General Discussion by Softhackle | 13 | Jun 29, 2011 by Softhackle |
Re: Midge Sizes In General Discussion by Lastchance | 7 | Jan 9, 2009 by DSFlyman |
Re: Clusters of midges and the Griffith's Gnat In the True Fly Family Chironomidae by Troutnut | 35 | May 22, 2015 by Taxon |
Re: Fly Fishing The Rogue River In Fishing Reports by RogueBum | 4 | Jun 16, 2014 by Powellammon |
South Platte In Fishing Reports by Sundula | 0 | |
Re: South Platte/ Waterton Canyon In Fishing Reports by Sundula | 1 | Oct 19, 2006 by GONZO |
Re: Match the hatch........... general guidelines In General Discussion by Quillgordon | 12 | Apr 11, 2007 by Taxon |