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Hatches › Midge
Chironomidae · family
Midges are tiny, abundant trout food that matter year-round in both rivers and stillwaters.
Category
Midge
Category
The insect or forage category for this profile.
Size
Usually very small; commonly imitated on hooks from about #18 to #26, with some species larger or smaller.
Size
Typical size range anglers imitate on the water.
Key stages
Eggs, Larva, Pupa, Adult Midge, Egg Laying Adult
Key stages
Life stages most relevant to fly fishing this hatch or forage.
Water types
Rivers, Streams, Lakes, Ponds, Backwaters
Water types
Water types where this bug or forage is commonly found.
Chironomidae are non-biting midges, a globally distributed family of true flies in the order Diptera. Though adults can resemble mosquitoes, they lack the wing scales and long piercing mouthparts of true mosquitoes, and anglers most often imitate their larval, pupal, and adult stages.
Also known as: Chironomid
Female midges deposit clusters of tiny eggs on plants, rocks, or other submerged surfaces close to the water's edge.
Midge larvae live on the stream or pond bottom, where they feed on decaying organic matter and microorganisms for several days to many months.
During the pupal stage, the midge ascends through the water column, transforming into its adult form before emerging.
Adult midges emerge from the water, fly, mate, and typically remain near streams and rivers to complete their life cycle.
After mating, adult female midges return to the water to deposit their eggs, thus initiating a new life cycle.
larva
Fly Fish Food
Materials
Pupa
McFly Angler
Materials
Adult Midge
tightlinevideo
Materials
Egg Laying Adult
Charlie's Fly Box
Materials
Midge
One species, multiple rivers.
