What is a "Midge"?

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FlyDog

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I was reading an article on "midging" in still water for trout and was wondering just what a "midge" is and also what a "chironimid" is and are it and a midge the same thing?
Thanks
:)
 
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MTskibum

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Since the link didnt work, its a small bug, size 16 all the way down to a size 30. that looks like a little gnat in my opinion, the ones i see are mostly black, with very little grey/white.

Around here in montana they generally are going on from about december threw april. Its the bug that hatches in the wintertime.
 
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MBWCC

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Everything you wanted to know, with pictures galore:

True Fly Family Chironomidae (Midges) Hatch

BTW, as noted in the troutnut website, midges are active year round. The reason folks associate midges with winter months is that during winter months midges are often the only thing active.

Adult midges are generally about the size of and look much like mosquitoes but without the biting proboscis.
 
doc

doc

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Here in Alberta, when we refer to a chironomid, we are usually referring to the pupa stage of the Midge but really a chironomid is a midge at any stage of it's life cycle. A buzzer as the English refer to it is also a midge in it's pupa form. A bloodworm is the larva stag of a midge and the adult is just called an adult. A midge looks very similar to a mosquito but without the proboscis. The chironomid hatches on pretty much any stillwater fishery and is the number one most important food source for trout. A bomber is a large chironomid pupa and can get up to an inch in length. When bombers are hatching, the trout fishing is usually cosmic. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Doc
 
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FlyDog

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Thanks for the replies.
I'm trying to figure out what I need to add to my basic fly selection for stillwater since I just got myself a float tube.
Thanks again,
:)
 
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jclampwork88

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We have midges in Utah all year long, but the fish only really go after them in the winter time when the bigger bugs are not around. If you are a winter fisherman, try using them in the rivers in the winter. It is about the only thing around for the fish to eat


John
 
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plland

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Good info above^ Midges are also known as gnats. I'm not sure if all of them are semi aquatic, but a great many have larval stages that are aquatic-hence why your fly box might have dry fly midges and wet fly midges, neither of which look exactly like the insect itself of course, but as we all know it's a good enough impression to fool a fish.
 
Joni

Joni

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Midges can be those tiny Snow flies. A griffith Gnat is suppose to be a cluster of those little devils.

On this subject however, I always thought of a Chironomid as a PUPA stage of a DRY/ ADULT life. Never thought of a Chironomid and a MIDGE being the same. A midge will start off as a chironomid/PUPA but the end product is a MIDGE/DRY/ADULT.

I was also taught many years ago that SCUDS are THE main food source year round for Trout and Chironimids about 3/4 of the year.

I have seen Chironomids about #12 in size and down to #24.

Midge Larva would be your Brassies, Krystal Flash Midge, Disco Midges, etc (WORM LIKE OR LARVA) PUPA is Serendipity, Biot Midge Pupa, Suspender Midge (Worm like with a shuck or gills) ADULT MIDGE: CDC midge, Griffith's Gnat . As you can see, they are different.
I guess a WD40 could be a Chironomid or an emerger...Hummmm.
 
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plland

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If you're talking about fishing flies, I think chironomid would refer to a wet fly of some sort, but for the insects the word refers to the chironomidae, a family of midges, both larval and adult forms.
 
Fishstick

Fishstick

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For me any fly that takes me more than 20 minutes to tie on the leader because the eye is to darn small to see.....is a midge. :)
 
doc

doc

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Here's some more stuff I thought I'd throw up.




Adult


Adult Pattern


Pupa (chironomid)


Pupa Pattern


Larva


Larva Pattern


All photos courtesy Phil Rowley and Mike Monteith

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Doc
 
jose

jose

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This has been a great thread! Thank you all for all the great info! Now I see why I was given a tip long ago about tying a little light red thread on a hook when nothings biting. It turns out that this is just a midge larva pattern that works. Talk about putting two and two together.
 
Joni

Joni

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That was the chart I was looking for. I guess I should have said Scuds on Moving waters/tailwaters year round.
I have tried Chironomids in Oct before with not good results, but the scuds WOW!
There are some stillwaters that are great for Chironomids and some that are not. The Nots being Strawberry and Henry's, and I am not saying which ones are GREAT! LOL
 
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