About this time of year I am fishing really shallow water around “super sippers” which I describe as large fish sucking in tremendous amounts of midges in the surface film. My go-to meat and potatoes fly has been a quilled emerger on a TMC 212Y sizes #16-22 for many years now. There are many variations of this fly. I tie it with a turkey flat post dyed medium dun. The extra protruding silhouette of the post makes it very easy to see in ultra contrasty light which is prevalent this time of year. Its a very basic pattern and can be tied quickly and floats well under many situations. You can use either black, light dun, or medium dun for the horizontal hackle collar. Note: I have recently been tying most of my midges with Veevus thread a company out of Denmark makes it. You can really bear down with this thread it is a little slick however but it makes for a tight and clean tiny fly.
Quilled Para Midge Emerger
Hook: TMC 212Y sizes #16 ~ #22
Thread: Veevus 10/0 Black
Quill: Dyed Black
Thorax: Black Beaver Belly
Post: Medium Dun Turkey Flat