Multi-Purpose Midge

Developed by Tom Travis of Livingston, MT to cut down on the proliferating number of patterns he had to carry when fishing the spring creeks of Paradise Valley.  On stream modification with a small pair of scissors transforms the basic pattern into different stages of the natural’s life cycle.

Emerging adult : Basic pattern

Adult : Trim off trailing shuck

Stillborn : Trim hackle top and bottom, leave shuck

Spent adult : Trim shuck, trim hackle top and bottom

The hackle on this fly is tied undersized.  For the thorax use two strands of herl for the larger sizes and one strand for the small ones, The original was tied with a stripped peacock quill abdomen.  By using thinly dubbed bodies of different colors, an even greater variety of midge hatches can be covered.

Hook : Dry fly; #14 – #22

Shuck : Lt. dun or lt. olive

Abdomen : Stripped peacock or synthetic dubbing

Thorax ; Peacock herl

Hackle : Grizzly; undersized, palmered through thorax.

Alan Bowers

Fly tied by Alan Bowers