JAB's Tailwater Midge Series, Red - #3 of 150

My Tailwater Midge Series is a variant of the Disco Midge and was tailored to meet the selective rainbows of Rocky Ford in Washington State..  I soon discovered the red version worked wonders on California's Putah Creek; which, I now frequent regularily.

The Tailwater Series can be tied in various colors to meet your local waters.  The main criteria will be matching the color of the thorax to the thread underbody by mixing natural muskrat with an equal amount of Super Fine dubbing.   The thorax is then picked out.  The fine hairs and fibers will breath in the slower currents.

I usually fish this pattern down along the bottom in conjuction with a tunsgsten beaded pattern(s).  The red appears is dynamite during water releases when both midges and aquatic worms are dislodged from rising current speeds.

For those of you that fish the Upper Sacramento River I recommend the Tailwater Black in the heat of the summer when the SBS (Small Black Stuff or Small Black Sh*t as many put it) is the ticket for consistency.

I would also recommend a few tied up in bright colors such as fl. pink, fl. orange and chartruese as back-ups for the slow days.  

Materials

Hook:  Daiichi 1270 or TMC 200, sizes 16-22 (TMC 200 #20 pictured)

Thread:  14/0 Veevus, red

Body:  Thread

Overbody:  Veevus pearl tinsel small (Flashabou can be used, but it is not as strong as the Veevus tinsel.)

Thorax:  50/50 mixture of red Super Fine dubbing and natural muskrat picked out

Tying Instructions

1.  Smash barb of the hook with the jaws of the vise and secure.

2.  Start tying thread approximately half an eye length behind eye and make a few securing wraps rearwards.

3.  Remove approximately 6-inches of small pearl tinsel from the spool and secure to the top of the hook shank with flattened thrad wraps.  Continue rearwards until you reach an area just behind the barb (as pictured).

4.  Bring flat thread wraps forward to the thorax area.  The flat thread wraps keep the body thin.

5.  Wind pearl tinsel forward with close touching turns to the thorax area and secure.

6.  Apply a sparse amount of dubbing to the thread and build a thin and short thorax.  The thorax should be approximately 1/5 to 1/6 of the body length.

7.  Whip finish.