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Fall Ghost Pupa

Photo: Clint Bova
The fall brings typically low clear water, weary surface feeding trout, and lots of “boil rises”. My midge box is stocked with a favorite pattern that I have edited over the last ten years into a very no frills pupa design. After the chironomids larva stage the pupa develops a pronounced thorax and as it shucks in the surface film it begins to splay its legs and wings. A sparse horizontal hackle collar that appears translucent gives the impression of this shucking display. Using a dyed gray turkey T-base feather gives you an identifiable profile in the water but not as contrasty as a white post. White posts breaking the trouts cone of vision will scare a shallow spookey pool full of browns. Hence the name “Fall Ghost Pupa”. I have used D-rib and turkey biots for the body but have found that dyed quills add extra flotation for the TMC 2487 hook. The slightly canted wing post works great with the geometry of this hook and hangs it in the surface film imitating the natural very well.

The natural breaking the surface film (Photo: NGIS)

Hook: TMC 2487 #16-20
Body: Dyed Black Quill
Thorax: Dyed Black Silk
Wing Post: Turkey T-Base Dyed Gray
Hackle: Light Dun

Photos: Clint Bova
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