Net Head Midge | selective trout emerger pattern
Above photo: One of my #19 “Net Head” midge emergers
tied on a TMC 212Y emerger hook.
Click on any image for 10x zoom
I had a conversation with an old timer on Big Spring Creek last week, and he was peeking into my fly box at some of my midge emergers that I usually tie on TMC 212Y hooks. These hooks are a bit hard to find, but make a superb foundation for most tiny emergers. He was checking out a few of my #17 CDC loop wing midge emergers. He then asked if I could tie him a few that incorporated some sparkle, mimicking the shuck, as well as some of my staple loop-wing midge patterns. I enthusiastically pulled out a small tin from my vest and showed him my “Net Heads,” as I call them. This is simply an extra antron cream-colored net-like shroud over the initial CDC loop. He liked these little morsels very much. He also mentioned it would help him see the fly in the surface film. He was correct; the added shroud helps the CDC bubble maintain buoyancy longer and makes it easier to see in slightly faster drifts.
This is a very versatile emerger pattern that has served me well in the Smokies, other spring creeks in West Virginia and PA, and the Mad River, my home water near my house in Urbana. You can achieve a significant amount of flotation from the loop configuration, so I especially like using it in spillways and swifter tailouts in the surface film.
This is a simple pattern to tie, and it has paid big dividends everywhere I have fished it, particularly for very selective feeders in the fall. I use Kapok as the first layer in the thorax and top it off with black Beaver Belly. The TMC 212Y comes in odd sizes #11-#23. Unfortunately, they are becoming more difficult to find here in the US. So typically, I have to order them from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, or the UK.
This fly is relatively small, tied on a #19 TMC 212Y, but adding the cream Antron will make it much easier to see in moderately swift water.
Net Head Midge
Hook: TMC 212Y #17-#19
Thread: UTC Ultra 70 Black
Body: Polish quill natural
Wing: Swiss Super Select CDC natural
Loop Shroud: Cream Antron
Dubbing: Kapok topped with Black Beaver Belly
This is a very simple midge pattern that can be tied using many color variations.
I use this pattern frequently in slightly faster currents in very shallow, clear water. Still, it is also quite effective in swift pocket water, such as in the Smokies, where the little Brookies are hitting tiny emergers in the gurgling, shallow pools.
Thanks for letting me share!
~Clint Bova
