Nathan led the class via Zoom. Claude provided this:
Recipe:
Hook: curved hook: sizes 12 – 18
Thread: black, brown, olive, red or anything you have
Body: thread with either silver or copper wire
Thorax: Dubbing, peacock hearl or just thread. Coloured tinsel for the cheeks if you are keen.
Bead: Small or lead wire
Notes: There are so many variations
Those who are not up with midge fishing techniques are seriously missing out. Some will say midge fishing is just for lakes; how wrong they are. Midge are found everywhere, from fast flowing mountain streams to lowland rivers and lakes and swamps. There are around 200 species of Chironomid in Australia.
Midges can vary from pale olive green to black with every shade in between. A point to note is that in many instances the colour of the adult flying midge will be similar to that of the emerging midge. The key colours to carry in your fly box are pale olive, olive, black and blood red. To find some midge samples check the leaves on overhanging bushes or trees and you will see them there.
When is the best time to try fishing a midge pattern? Midge come off all year round, with late spring and all through summer being the best. But remember, it is the week leading up to a full moon when they prefer to hatch on mass. Midge on lakes can produce some of the most intense fishing that can be found on a stillwater. The best fishing times are from daylight to mid-morning, and again at last light.
After the early morning calm a breeze will normally come up and wind lanes will start to form; that is when the fishing gets really interesting. Wind lanes are like highways for feeding fish. As they form the floating food matter is compacted within these lanes and it is common to find a number of fish feeding at any one time. Keep your eye on the edges of these wind lanes as trout often cruise along the outside, using the rough area as cover and moving into the lane to feed whenever they so choose. On clear sunny days the trout will generally feed along the lane with the sun at their backs, as they have no eyelids so it is difficult for them to look into the sun, especially for fish feeding on the surf
From <https://vffa.com.au/fly-of-the-month-april-2013/>
you can listen to:
Advanced Stillwater Techniques, with Phil Rowley – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/advanced-stillwater-techniques-with-phil-rowley/id278930814?i=1000447539666
Anchored Podcast Ep. 188: Phil Rowley on Chironomids, Stillwater Fishing and Going Pro – https://play.acast.com/s/anchoredwithaprilvokeyfishingpodcast/3baed2b4-2b64-48ca-b983-b293f8d4a2ce
FLY FISHING WITH CHIRONOMIDS PART 1 WITH PHIL ROWLEY – https://toflyfish.com/fly-fishing-chironomids/