MIDGE PUPA
FLIES
CHIRONOMID
Chironomids
are also sometimes known Buzzers and Midges at various parts of
their life cycle. They are part of the
Chironomidae
family
of the order Diptera - True Flies. They are very small
as the name implies and have a similar life cycle to Mayflies and Caddisflies.
When fish are
taking Chironomids
the Chironomids are generally
available in large numbers. The Lava is
between
6 & 15 mm in length and is generally a blood red legless maggot.
Having said that as the lava mature they often change colours and may
be black through to green. In any case in the laval form they live in
the
detritus sediment in the bottom of lakes and streams. As they mature
into pupae, whilst the size only increases marginally, the
colour generally changes to green, grey or black and a bulbous wing
case and curved
abdomen
develop. In their lava stage
they are commonly referred to as buzzers. When its time to
emerge the pupae swim to the surface like a
“mosquito
wriggler” and break through the surface tension and hatch into small
generally
non-biting mosquito like flies that are sometimes known as midges.
Whilst trout do search out lava amongst the detritus matter and eat
lava that have been disturbed by wind and wave action it is
generally the free swimming pupae that are most often eaten by trout.
Whilst the lava is generally found in the lower reaches the pupa can be
found in a wide range of depths from very shallow to up to 10
meters.
MATERIALS:
Hook
- Size
10 to 14
curves
caddis or shrimp
Thread - 6/0
thread of required colour
Body & thorax - Thread
Rib - Fine copper wire or contrasting thread
Wing casing - Contrasting hackle fibres tied in on top or as a flash
each side
Gills / syphons - Tuft of white antron
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