I have been tweaking a lot of my midge patterns since arriving in California. Living so close to some demanding and sometimes unforgiving fish hurled me into adapting rather quickly to what they like and not what my eye wanted. The finicky tailwater fish of Putah Creek will let you know rather quickly whether or not they like a pattern.
The very first change to the Power Pupa happened when UV resins first came to the market. Talk about a time saver, less mess, no mixing epoxy and better control during application. No brainer!
Next I decided the body needed a change, The orignal body material was Hareline's Micro Tubing which lies flat against the hook shank. Although this provides a nice segmented look it wasn't as pronounced as I like. Switching to Wapsi's Stretch Round Rib was a great choice and gave me the rounded edges I was looking for.
The most recent change was trying different flashback materials. For years pearl Flashabou was the choice for a lot of different patterns. And it is still a first choice for a lot of anlgers/tiers. However, I was searching for a material with more subtleness in the flash and overall brightness. This sublteness would break me away from all the other anglers pounding the creek with their flashback Pheasant Tails, Hare's Ears, etc. So last summer I tied a dozen Power Pupas with Hend's Perdigon tinsels and settled on #30 (black) for the final wingcase material. (If you haven't played around with these tinsels you are truly missing out on an unique camouflage-like effect.)
Finally, a small change in tying thread... I now tie the Power Pupa with 18/0 Nano Silk. This thread has recently become available stateside and is incredible strong. It will compress the thickest of tubing down to the shank creating a very thin body - just like a chironimid!
Presently I have only had the need to tie the Power Pupa in brown (shown below) and cream. Other colors may be on the horizon for me, but I would encourage you to tie and experiment with a few for your local waters.
Materials:
Hook: TMC 200R or Daiichi 1270, sizes 18-22 (TMC 200R, size 20 pictured)
Thread: 18/0 Nano Silk, copper (brown) or cream
Body: Thread followed by clear Waspi Stretch Round Rib .5mm
Wingcase: Hend's Perdigon tinsel, 1/69th, #30
Thorax: Thread
Tying note: After the wingcase is brought forward and secured apply a thin coat of UV resin and cure. Rotate the fly so the bottom is facing up. Mark the rear portion of the wingcase with an orange indelible marker. You will need to apply two or three coats of a thin UV resin to get the desired effect of depth in the wingcase and orange indelible ink hot spot.
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