Landon Mayer, named one of the 50 most influential fly fishers by Fly Fisherman magazine, has just completed his latest book “The Hunt for Giant Trout”. One of his winter tips on matching midges should help us catch more fish in the winter months here in Missouri. Here is what Landon writes:

A big advantage to the chilly months is not having to dissect a complex hatch to find what food supply the fish prefer. A majority to the trout’s diet will consist of Midges with a side order of Baetis if they are available. The first component to the Midge mystery is size and silhouette. You want to match the natural midge or downsize by one followed by the proper silhouette, which for Midges means thinner is better. Most of the larva, pupa, and adults are skinny. The second part of the equation is the color scheme. Finding the right color for the job based on the trout’s reaction to your flies. I normally start with a confidence color like red, or a red ribbed midge (Tube Midge #18-20-22) as my main fly. Then with my second dropper fly start with a dark color (Dorsey’s Flash Back Black Beauty #18-22, Dye’s Two Tone Larva#18-22) and use this as a changing station through the day. Making it easy to retie and find what color the fish will prefer.